A Threat She Never Saw Coming
by Bobapearl
Summary: Kyoko has always dealt with competition. It was just a part of the job. But this girl...she was unlike any person Kyoko had ever met. Because she wasn't fighting with her over a role...this girl was fighting for something much more valuable than that.
1. Chapter 1: A Newcomer

Greetings! Thank you for clicking on this link and reading my latest story! I came up with this one for a while now, but just never had enough ideas to write it. But here it is! Please Review and Thanks!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters. **

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want something to drink, ma'am?" the flight attendant asked with a friendly smile as she leaned down. "It's going to be quite a long flight."

Forcing herself to pry her eyes away from the magazine in her hands, the young actress slowly tucked a strand of her honey hair behind her ear and looked up at the woman with dark, glinting eyes. "I'd rather not," she replied quietly in a threatening tone.

Flustered and taken aback by the outright menace, the flight attendant stumbled back down the aisle to the end of the plane, feeling the blood within her body run ice cold and her hair standing on end. She never once looked back as she quickly tried to escape from the sinister aura emanating from the young, beautiful lady who practically seemed murderous.

Meanwhile, the actress sighed heavily and threw the magazine onto the seat next to her, clearly annoyed at the disturbance that broke her peace of mind. She absent-mindedly stared out of the window in her first class seat, seeing the pale wispy clouds dissipate as the plane drove through them like a bullet.

Bored, she began to drum her fingers on the arm rest, crossed her legs, closed her eyes, and leaned her head back, but no matter how hard she tried, the actress couldn't relax. The restlessness that was apparent both mentally and physically was obviously taking a toll on her already ominous mood.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar, chirpy voice approach from the back, but she didn't bother to turn around. It was nobody of importance to her anyway.

"I'm sorry about the flight attendant earlier," her agent whispered quietly as she sat beside her. "I should have warned her that you don't like to be disturbed."

The young passenger ignored her apology and half-heartedly waved manager away with a flick of the hand.

"Of course," the petite woman mumbled with a bow of her head as she quickly scurried away to sit in the back with the others.

Slipping on her sunglasses, the actress looked out the window once more as a gentle voice over the intercom announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, we will be arriving in Tokyo in approximately 18 hours. Thank you for choosing Continental Airlines and we hope you will enjoy your flight."

Smiling for the first time ever since she boarded the plane, the female passenger placed her chin in the palm of her hand and whispered under her breath, "Just eighteen hours. Eighteen hours before I'll finally see you again…"

* * *

"MOKO-SAN!"

"NO!"

"Please! MOKO-SAN!"

"How many times do I have to tell you NO!"

Kanae angrily stomped away from her relentless friend as she continued to follow her through the LME halls, whining "MOKO-SAN!" nonstop. Kanae would have tried to make a break for it, if only she wasn't wearing that hideous pink uniform that stood out like a glaring headlight for the whole world to see. She wouldn't have been able to lose her friend while wearing _that_ piece of work. And to make matters worse, Kyoko was getting louder and louder by the minute as Kanae continued to ignore her constant pleas.

"MOKO-SAN! JUST THIS ONE TIME! I PROMISE IT'LL BE FUN! MOKO—!"

In a rage, Kanae quickly spun around on her heel and looked at a surprised Kyoko straight in the eyes as she replied, "Would you stop it!"

Kyoko shook her head vigorously.

Groaning, Kanae ran her hand through her long black hair and closed her eyes, refusing to look at her.

This was getting nowhere. Kyoko had been at this since morning and by now it was already noon. Kanae could feel her resolve quickly dissolving away and she didn't have any strength left to fight it anymore. As much as she hated these stupid "best-friend" anniversary things, Kyoko obviously didn't.

"Is this really that important to you?" she asked through clenched teeth as she imagined the sickening smile on Kyoko's face getting wider and wider.

"YES MOKO-SAN! It means a lot!"

Sighing, Kanae opened her eyes and looked at her friend, bouncing on the soles of her feet with eyes glowing in anticipation. She didn't have the heart to deny her when Kyoko was trying so hard. And it really was only one night. How hard could it be?

"Alright," she said in surrender. "I'll do it. But this is a ONE TIME deal! Understand?"

Kyoko squealed in delight and hugged Kanae tightly around the waist. "YAY! Thank you, Moko-san!"

"MO! LET GO OF ME!"

Shaking her off, Kanae quickly smoothed out her hair and uniform as she turned her back on Kyoko once more and walked to the locker room. Kyoko quickly fell back into step with her as she skipped merrily alongside her best friend.

"So I was thinking we could first start at my house, get ourselves acquainted, then play some board games, pillow fight, paint each other's nails, make some good old-fashioned sweets, and if we still have time, DO EACH OTHER'S MAKE-UP!" Kyoko screamed in glee. "This is going to be great!"

Kanae remained silent. She was already dreading the night ahead. Kanae was never into these slumber-party nights, let alone a celebration of best-friendship. In fact, it was accurate to say that she felt highly awkward. Even though Kanae referred to Kyoko as her best friend, she never uttered the words out loud in public. Nobody could have possibly guessed that they were friends. It always seemed as if Kyoko was doing all the friendly business while Kanae was desperately trying to push her away.

But that was far from the truth. These two girls were extremely close; they shared a bond that no other girls had: a matching pair of pink janitorial uniforms that separated them from the typical cliques. Or as in Kanae's words, "a damn, wretched curse" that led her to have a friend in the first place.

When they finally reached the locker room, Kyoko continued to shoot out ideas for what she believed to be fun as Kanae silently unzipped her uniform and slipped on her normal, fashionable clothes. She didn't bother to interrupt her. Once Kyoko got going, it would take a miracle to stop her. Kanae would just have to wait for the oxygen to run out before she could get any word in.

Then as Kyoko stopped to take a breath, Kanae quickly placed her hand over Kyoko's mouth and replied, "I already agreed to go. Please spare me the pain of hearing what we are going to do there. Let it be a surprise, okay?"

Kyoko nodded and smiled sheepishly when Kanae let go. "Sorry, I guess I got a little ahead of myself there."

Kanae didn't reply. She just opened the door and gracefully walked outside, hearing Kyoko follow close behind her. As the two girls strolled through the halls, they suddenly saw a crowd of onlookers around a piece of paper on the bulletin board, murmuring excitedly amongst each other. Curious, they walked up to the group and heard:

"I heard she became a huge star when she was only three years old!"

"Well, I heard that she's traveled all around the world just to star in movies."

"She's really pretty too."

"And talented!"

"I can't believe she's actually coming!"

"How long do you think she'll stay?"

"Hopefully forever!"

"Who are you guys talking about?" Kyoko asked as she tapped on the shoulder of one of her fellow co-workers.

"You don't know?" he asked in surprise as he turned around in astonishment. "Our company has been preparing for this for months! How could you not know?"

Kyoko shook her head in apology and shrugged. She then looked at Kanae and asked, "Do you know?"

Kanae crossed her arms and shook her head as well.

"We're talking about Mya!" he replied in aghast at their lack of knowledge.

"Mya?" Kanae repeated. "I've never heard of her."

Suddenly, the room fell silent as the whole group turned around and stared at the two girls with wide eyes. "You don't know who Mya is?" they asked in unison.

Kyoko and Kanae slowly shook their head from side to side.

That did it. In just one breath, they were suddenly bombarded with:

"SHE HAPPENS TO BE THE NUMBER ONE ACTRESS IN AMERICA RIGHT NOW!"

"ALL THE MOVIES SHE'S STARRED IN HAVE RAKED IN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!"

"MYA DOMINATES THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY!"

"AND SHE'S ONLY 19 YEARS OLD!"

"HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW WHO SHE IS?"

Kyoko and Kanae were stunned. They stood with their mouths wide open, absolutely speechless. The fervent looks on every person's face as they screamed their obvious respect for this girl completely caught them off guard. Mya had to be pretty amazing.

"Well," Kanae replied with a shaky huff as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. "If this girl is so elite, why would a professional like her come here?"

The group laughed.

"Because Mya wasn't always an American actress! She was actually discovered right here in Japan, by none other than President Lory himself."

* * *

"It's not like him to keep us waiting," Yashiro commented as he sat in President Lory's office, tapping his foot incessantly on the floor. "He knows you got things to do."

Ren was standing at the window, looking down at the bustling streets as he replied, "No matter how busy I am I'll make time for my boss. He knows _that _as well."

Yashiro sighed in defeat.

Ren, on the other hand, was well aware of why the President wanted to see him. Today was the day, and Ren couldn't hide from him any longer. In just a matter of hours, she would be arriving at the airport and the President had left it up to Ren to make sure that she will be well-acquainted into her new home for the next few weeks. He was the one entrusted with her.

Ren let out a deep breath. He didn't understand why he felt so nervous. It's been awhile since he's been so pent-up like this before. Ren was not feeling like himself today at all. Every now and then, he found himself staring at the clock at each passing minute, counting down the seconds as to when her plane will arrive.

"This is bad," he whispered under his breath.

Yashiro, however, caught the sound immediately and asked, "What is?"

Ren shook his head.

"Everything."


	2. Chapter 2: Early Arrival

Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait! Just graduated last week and things have been sort of hectic...but summer is here and now I can finally devote myself to writing! I'll try to update soon! Thanks for reading and Please REVIEW!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of its characters.**

* * *

"Look here Moko-san," Kyoko said as she held the tabloid that one of her fellow workers let her borrow up to her nose.

Reading out loud, Kyoko began:

"_Mya has won over five Oscars throughout her acting career and has starred in movies ranging from action and horror to romance and comedy. As one of the leading young actresses in America, it seems that Mya can only move forward as she continues up the ladder of the entertainment industry. In fact, it has been rumored that she has just signed a contract with multi-millionaire director Bradley Johnson to star in the new upcoming movie __Smoke and Mirrors__ as a female detective who gets caught in a middle of a drug war when she is held hostage by none other than the Mafia leader himself. Information about the person who will play the male lead has not yet been disclosed since the crew wants to find someone who will have the same level of talent as Mya. Apparently, the two characters will take part in a steamy romance portrayed in the much-awaited movie."_

Kyoko sighed. "I guess the others weren't kidding when they said she was really top-notch."

Kanae, on the other hand, was less than impressed. She sat in one of the lounge chairs with her legs crossed and her head twisted in the other direction. Kanae wouldn't even look at the magazine in Kyoko's hand which had Mya's picture plastered on the front cover. She huffed in annoyance and clicked her tongue.

"So what? Who cares if she won five Oscars? She could have won three million for all I care."

Kyoko smiled at her bitterness. "You're not jealous, are you Moko-san?"

Kanae slowly turned her gaze on Kyoko. A dark thunderous aurora enveloped her body as she murmured quietly, "Did you just say jealous?"

"N-n-n-no!" Kyoko stuttered as she put her hands up to her face as a shield. "O-o-of cour-s-se not! Why sh-h-ould you be!"

Kanae "hmph-ed!" in reply and swung her head to the side, letting her dark hair fall to the back as she turned her head away from Kyoko, freeing her friend from her deathly stare.

Kyoko took in a deep, shaky breath of relief. Kanae was very scary at times like those and Kyoko wasn't planning on earning a response like that ever again. "_Maybe not talking about Mya around Moko-san would be best,"_ she thought to herself as she watched Kanae glower at the clock above their heads.

Mya was to suppose to arrive to LME in roughly thirty minutes or so. And after observing Kanae's clear annoyance Kyoko had an idea and thought that it would be in everyone's best interest if Moko-san wasn't here for the welcoming parade that would obviously follow after her arrival.

"Moko-san, why don't you and I—"

But Kyoko was suddenly cut off as two female workers walked up from behind her chair and were talking incessantly about the one person she wanted to avoid hearing about at all cost. Involuntarily, her eyes wandered over to Kanae's face as she watched her facial expression change from dark to down-right murderous.

One of the girls squealed in excitement as she cried out, "I hope I can get an autograph!"

"Of course you will!" the other friend replied as she playfully hit her on the shoulder. "Mya is known to be one of the NICEST people ever. Getting an autograph will be a cinch!"

"Oh, if only I could be like Mya…I would be perfect!"

"It's not possible to reach that state of perfection! She's the greatest!"

"Can you believe she'll be here in just half an hour!"

"I CAN'T! This is absolutely surreal!"

"To think that she belongs in LME! THE SAME COMPANY AS US!"

"You're right! It's absolutely—!"

"WILL YOU GUYS STOP TALKING ABOUT HER!" Kanae said angrily as she stood up from her chair. "IS THIS ALL EVERYONE IS EVER GOING TO TALK ABOUT! MYA THIS! MYA THAT! GET OVER IT!"

The two girls stood with their mouths wide open and their knees trembling as they stared at an infuriated Kanae, breathing as if she just finished running a twenty mile marathon.

"Umm, Moko-san?" Kyoko asked nervously as she quickly stood up and placed her hand on her arm. "Let's go get something to eat, okay?"

Kanae closed her eyes and took in a breath. She nodded and quickly turned the other way as Kyoko followed her lead. Before they left, Kyoko looked back and mouthed an apology at the two frozen girls who were rooted to the spot as they watched Kyoko and Kanae walk away.

"I guess not everyone is a fan of Mya…" one of the girls said slowly.

Her friend could only nod in response.

* * *

"Do you plan on filling me in anytime soon, Ren?" Yashiro asked as he walked alongside his friend down the hall. "That whole discussion with the President completely went over my head."

Ren shook his head. "What is there to explain?"

Yashiro glared. "Fine, if you're going to act like that."

He then continued to walk forward in silence, refusing to meet Ren's gaze. Usually, Yashiro would have tried harder, but this time he had a vain hope that Ren would give in first before he had to do any hardcore begging.

Ren, on the other hand, wasn't paying much attention. Even though he felt guilty for hiding it from Yashiro, Ren had other things on his mind. The President made it extremely clear that Ren would be in charge of Mya while she was here and it wasn't an accident. Thinking back to a few minutes ago, he could hear the President's words ringing in his ears:

"_Mya's coming to visit so that she can remember her humble beginnings. After all, she discovered her love for acting right here in Japan. And among other things as well. Ren, I leave her to your care. If she wants to look back at the past, then I suggest we give her the whole package. Wouldn't you agree?"_

He groaned internally.

"_Do you enjoy torturing me?"_ Ren thought silently to himself as his footsteps began to slow when the smirk on the President's face flooded his memories. _"You know perfectly well why she's here…"_

"Ren?" Yashiro called as he stood in front of his friend who stopped abruptly in the hall. "You there?"

Ren shook his head from side and side and looked at his face. "Yes, why?"

Yashiro cocked an eyebrow. "Something wrong? You seem…perplexed."

He chuckled nervously. "What are you talking about, Yashiro? I'm fine." Continuing down the hall, Ren prayed that Yashiro would let it drop. But his manager was absolutely relentless.

"You know, I've never seen you like this before. It's quite odd actually. So I'm curious, does this have anything to do with Mya?"

Feeling his body tense up at her name, Ren elongated his strides in hopes of losing Yashiro, but his friend caught on quickly. Ren laughed again and replied shakily, "You're ridiculous."

"Oh am I?" Yashiro asked breathlessly as he tried to keep up with his tall friend. "Well, if I'm so ridiculous, then why don't you—?"

But luckily for Ren, Yashiro was interrupted by two girls walking across the main floor towards the front doors. Yashiro couldn't help but smile when he recognized the orange flaming hair, bouncing its way through the crowd. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he realized that he wasn't the only one who was happy to see Kyoko.

Ren had stopped as well and was staring at his pupil with a look that most people would take as love struck. The sparkle in his eye, the small smile at the corner of his lips, they were all directed at her. Feeling stress-free for the first time today, Ren gracefully walked up to the two of them and said, "Good afternoon, Mogami-san, Kotonami-san."

They both turned around in surprise at the soft voice and looked up at the number one actor of LME. Although Kanae was well aware of Ren's feelings for her best friend, Kyoko was oblivious to it all and didn't even think twice of why her mentor treated her differently from the rest. She figured it was just because he was her mentor and nothing more. Kyoko was extremely dense when it came to things like that

"Good afternoon to you too, Tsuruga-san," she replied in return as Yashiro walked up alongside Ren. "Hello, Yashiro-san."

Yashiro smiled. "Hi, Kyoko-chan. What are you girls up to?"

"We're just going to grab a bite to eat."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Now? But don't you want to meet M—?"

In a flash, Kyoko stepped in front of Kanae with her arms extended, covering her best friend with her back, as she replied quickly, "NO! We just want to eat!"

Caught off guard by her outright answer, Yashiro took a step back as he looked at Kanae over Kyoko's shoulder. Her face seemed to have darkened just a shade as her eyes slowly became slits. _"I wonder what's bothering her…"_

Ren smiled. "I suggest eating at Cherry then. It's a great sushi place for lunch."

Kyoko looked at her mentor and smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, Tsuruga-san."

At moments like those, Kyoko knew exactly why she looked up to her mentor. He was always so understanding and never seemed to demand an explanation. Tsuruga-san was just someone who knew exactly when to ask questions and when to let things go.

"Your welcome. And I think you guys should get going. It's going to get quite crowded here soon and leaving the company is going to be impossible."

Kyoko nodded and grabbed Kanae's wrist. But as she was just about to drag her friend away, the front doors of LME suddenly slid open.

At first, it seemed like a mob of crazed fans had entered because all that could be heard were screams and cheers. But as the doors closed shut, a tall, slender silhouette of a young lady appeared at the front of the crowd. She was wearing a pair of sun glasses on her head, a short black leather jacket over a red silk blouse, dark jeans, and a pair of shiny, heeled boots with a white handbag over her shoulder. Behind her was an entourage of what seemed to be at least thirty people.

There was no doubt about it. It was _her_.

She looked around LME curiously with an expression of a critic who was reviewing the opening of a new-found restaurant. And when her eyes finally wandered to the center of the floor, her eyes widened.

At first, Kyoko thought she was staring at her, but suddenly she realized, it wasn't her at all. Mya's gaze was locked on…

"REN!"

Dropping her belongings in haste, she ran towards Ren and with extended arms, she jumped into his embrace and hugged him tightly. The couple spun around a few times before their feet were firmly planted on the ground. Ren looked down and smiled at the excited girl who continued to hug him tightly around the waist.

Mya then placed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes in contentment. _"It's been too long…"_ she thought to herself with a smile. But as she opened her eyes to look up at Ren again, she noticed a young girl standing close behind him, staring at her with wide eyes.

Slowly removing herself from his arms, she took a step back and turned her full gaze on her. Opening her mouth, Mya asked quietly, "Who's this?"

Kyoko froze.


	3. Chapter 3: First Impressions

Alright, chapter 3 is up for you to read and review! Thanks again for all the awesome support!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Kyoko didn't understand why she was so scared. Her body completely tensed up and all she could do was stare back into those green eyes that seemed to penetrate the very core of her soul. She desperately wanted to speak, at least to say some sort of greeting, but Kyoko felt as if she was completely paralyzed from head to toe.

Mya smiled at her reluctance. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Here," she said as she stuck out a slender hand. "My name is Mya Beaumont. And you are?"

Kyoko gulped, but forced a small smile in return. She tentatively shook Mya's hand and realized that it was surprisingly soft and tender, when compared to her icy, emerald eyes. Finally finding her voice once more, Kyoko murmured, "My name is Mogami Kyoko. Nice to meet you."

Even though she had already seen plenty of pictures of Mya in the magazines that her friends lent her before, Kyoko couldn't get over how agonizingly beautiful she was. Her honey hair, soft complexion, tinkling voice…it seemed as if she jumped right out of a fairy tale. The absolute perfection that everyone talked about did not do her any justice. She was more than perfect; Mya was just too good to be true.

"Hello Kyoko," Mya replied as she brought both of her hands forward, appraising her up and down. "And what do you do here at LME?"

"What is this, some kind of interview?" an annoyed voice asked from the back. Kanae suddenly stepped forward and stood beside Kyoko with her arms crossed, staring Mya down.

Mya didn't seem like a very tall person up close, but when she laid her eyes on Kanae, Kanae couldn't help but feel as if the actress towered over her, like a tyrannical queen waiting for someone to have the courage to defy her. At first, Mya seemed puzzled by the response, but then she smiled again and laughed. "No, not at all. Forgive me for being rash, but I just wanted to get to know my new-found friends."

"Friends? Since when were we—"

But Kanae wasn't allowed to finish her thought as Kyoko stepped in front of her and placed a hand upon her shoulder and said, "We're both new actresses that President Lory has taken under his wing. He's been teaching us the ropes of what it takes to become famous in this industry."

Mya looked back at Kyoko with a curious expression. "He discovered you?"

"Not really, more like he gave us the chance to prove to him that we're dedicated to our goals."

Wanting to break the tense atmosphere, Ren cleared his throat and smiled. "Mogami-san has been too modest. She forgot to mention that the President also chose these two girls based on their talents as well."

Hearing Ren speak for the first time, Mya instinctively turned her head and looked at him. Her heart fluttered at the sound of his gentle voice and the way his eyes seemed to smolder whenever she looked within them. However, although her heart was a blazed at finally seeing Ren again, Mya couldn't help but think he and Kyoko were closer than the eye could see.

Seeing Kyoko blush under his gaze and how she shook her head in defiance at his compliment made Mya realize that Kyoko was not just a fellow worker here at LME.

She smiled. "If Ren has such high regards for the both of you, then you guys must truly be great."

Kyoko bowed her head slightly, but Kanae just looked at the girl with cold eyes, refusing to acknowledge her efforts of being civil.

Suddenly, a petite young woman walked up from behind Mya and murmured. "Mya, I think we should go get ourselves acquainted. It was such a long flight and possibly you would like to rest? Please allow me to—"

Mya then turned around and firmly placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Rebecca, I will rest when I want to, not just because you think I should. I don't feel tired. However, I would like you to take my things to the hotel."

Nodding obediently, Rebecca took a step back and clapped her hands at the crowd waiting behind her. Like a colony of ants, the people began to move and quickly dispersed out of the company, pulling all of Mya's belongings along with them.

"Sorry about that," Mya said with a smile as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "My manager constantly worries about my health and it gets quite bothersome really."

"Health?" Ren asked. "Are you not well?"

She shook her head and laughed. "Of course not, silly. But people seem to think I'm very fragile. They blame it on my young age. Apparently, this is a very _dangerous _industry to be a part of for someone of my stature."

Out of the corner of her eye, Mya looked at Kyoko with an intense gaze that seemed to electrify like a spark. Kyoko unwillingly stared back, but could already feel her lungs constrict from the anxiety that was coursing through her veins. _"What's wrong with me?"_ she thought helplessly.

"Why don't you guys get to know each other while Yashiro and I help with your things?" Ren offered as he took a step around Mya.

At the sound of Yashiro's name, Mya turned her head and looked at the young gentleman behind Ren. She smiled warmly and bowed her head slightly. "Good afternoon, Yashiro."

Yashiro, awed by her graciousness, smiled in return and gave a slight nod of his head. "It's really nice to finally meet you, Mya."

"Likewise," she replied happily. "It's great to be home."

"Then if you will excuse us," Ren said politely as he and Yashiro walked together out the front doors of LME.

Eventually, all that was left was Kyoko, Kanae, and Mya, looking at each other with an expression that prevented others from approaching the superstar even when they have been desperately waiting for her for days. It seemed like there was an invisible boundary around them, separating the three from the rest of the world.

"So," Mya began nonchalantly as she crossed her arms. "I don't think I ever caught your name," she said to Kanae.

Kanae raised an eyebrow and replied stiffly, "Kotonami Kanae."

"Huh. That's a pretty name. Doesn't really fit now does it?"

"Excuse me?" Kanae murmured menacingly.

Mya only smiled in response.

Kyoko laughed nervously and immediately stepped in between the two girls to prevent from any more harsh words from being said that would destroy any hopes of common courtesy. "Actually, Beaumont-san, Moko-san and I were just going to go grab a bite to eat and—"

"Kyoko, Kyoko," Mya began with a wave of her hand. "What is that Beaumont-san nonsense? Mya will do just fine. And say no more, please go. I don't want to hold you both back from your lunch. After all, a girl's got to eat."

Kyoko smiled uneasily and thanked Mya for her thoughtfulness. She then grabbed Kanae's hand and whispered, "Let's go, Moko-san."

Kanae glared at Mya one last time before she picked up her feet and followed in pursuit.

But when Kyoko was a slight distance ahead of Kanae, Mya turned around and called softly, "Kotonami."

She stopped right beside Mya, staring at Kyoko's retreating back.

"You do have what it takes to be a good actress."

Kanae murmured, "And what would that be?"

Mya turned her head slightly and smiled. "You know just when to listen…like an obedient dog."

And before Kanae would utter a single sound, Mya walked away, laughing softly as a whole crowd of eager fans finally swarmed around her in glee.

Kanae, on the other hand, was rooted to the spot as her fists were clenched in fury. Kyoko was already a good distance ahead of her, but she couldn't get her feet to move. She was trembling from head to toe, the anger rolling off of her in waves.

When Kyoko finally noticed that Kanae wasn't behind her, she turned around and waved, calling her name. "MOKO-SAN!"

Kanae gritted her teeth together and forced her legs to walk. Kyoko may not have noticed it, but Kanae knew that Mya was not someone to be reckoned with. But as of right now, it didn't look like she had a choice. It seemed like the fight had already begun.

* * *

"Mya? Are you here? Mya?"

Rebecca softly closed the hotel door behind her as she stepped into the dark room, squinting her eyes in her efforts to find the young actress.

"In here, Rebecca."

Following the drawling voice into the other room, she finally spotted Mya sitting in a large chair next to the window with the curtains drawn back, staring out at the night sky with her legs crossed and twisting her hair around her fingers.

"Why are you sitting in the dark, Mya?"

Mya sighed. "I just wanted some peace. The darkness relaxes me."

Rebecca nodded and stood beside the chair, looking down at the young actress and observing her calmness. It had been awhile since she has witnessed such serenity whenever Mya was around. She was always so…intense. It was quite rare to find her like this.

After a few minutes of silence, Mya suddenly turned her head and looked up at her manager. "Rebecca, I want to ask you something."

Kneeling down to her knees, she nodded and asked, "Anything, Mya."

"What do you think of the girl?"

Rebecca froze in surprise. "Well," she mumbled. "I think she was quite rude to you and that you really didn't mean any harm to—"

"Not that one," Mya said irritably. "I was talking about her friend."

"The one with the orange hair?"

Mya didn't respond.

Rebecca looked down at her knees. "I thought she was…friendly."

The young actress clicked her tongue. "And what do you think about Ren?"

"I don't really know him to have an opinion, Mya," Rebecca replied quietly.

Mya sighed. "I guess not."

"But there was something else I noticed," Rebecca began slowly.

"Go on."

"Well, it just seems that Ren and that girl you were talking about are somehow…close. It appears as if something is there. I mean, they could possibly be—"

Mya slammed her foot on the ground. Rebecca silenced herself immediately and stood up in fear. Trembling, she looked at the young girl as Mya turned her gaze on Rebecca, demanding her leave with her eyes.

As soon as the door closed shut, Mya leaned back and looked up at the pale moon, shining in the distant sky. Tapping her foot on the floor, she began to pick off the petals of the flowers in a vase that were placed on the table next to her.

"Mogami Kyoko," Mya whispered softly as she lifted a delicate flower in her hand.

"Let the games begin."

And she crushed the blossom within her grasp.


	4. Chapter 4: Hidden Feelings

Hello! So here is the next chapter for you to read, review, and critique! Thanks again to all the readers. You're support is what keeps me going...hehe, hopefully you'll like this one!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Rummaging through his kitchen, Ren had hopes that he would find something decent to eat for dinner, but to no avail. All that was left were a few bags of chips, some wine, and left-over chicken from last week's Chinese take-out that was already starting to smell. Exasperated, he decided to go sit in the living room and watch some TV, hoping that it will take his mind off of his rumbling stomach.

Ren would have ordered in some food, but it was already 11:40. No restaurant would answer his call now and even if it did, he didn't have the heart to make some poor soul come all the way out here just to feed him when he should have been more responsible and make something for himself.

Once he plopped down onto the couch, Ren flipped on the television and began to surf through the channels. Nothing was on, except for a countless number of infomericals from kitchen appliances to a new dating website for the lonely.

When Ren finally reached the 500s, he decided to stop at a news channel, listening to a blonde woman talk about the latest celebrity gossip with a voice that would have driven anyone insane.

"According to an exclusive insider, her baby may not actually be hers. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!" she cried loudly as she wagged her finger in front of the camera, laughing hysterically.

Ren shook his head. He was never one to listen to these stories. They were always either completely made up or partially made up. Truth was an absolute rarity.

But just as he was about to turn the channel to something of more substance, the newscaster said the one name that stopped him dead in his tracks:

"Well, in other news, I'm sure we all know that Mya Beaumont has finally arrived in Japan and will be staying for what seems to be a month before she goes back to America. Although reporters tried to get a few minutes with her at the airport, it seems that Mya was instantly rushed to famous entertainment company LME where we all know is the haven of none other than Tsuruga Ren, the heart-throb of our generation!"

The woman giggled in glee and clapped her hands together. "But ladies, I feel I must warn you. Rumors have it that there MIGHT be something fishy between Mya and Ren. Apparently, she came all the way to Japan just to see him…Coincidence? I THINK NOT!"

Instantly, Ren shut off the television and dropped the remote on the couch, running his hand through his hair. He could feel his heart beating in his chest, thumping in nervousness as his hands unconsciously started to clench and unclench in agitation.

"This is ridiculous," he murmured to himself. "It was just a stupid rumor. Nothing more…"

But Ren wasn't fooling anyone. No matter how hard he tried to persuade himself, it just wasn't working. Even now, he could easily recall the warmth of her embrace when he met her this morning, the gleeful smile upon her face when she looked up at him. Ren would be lying if he said a part of him didn't like the fact that she was here…that she still remembered him even after all this time. But, Mya's purpose for coming to Japan was something that he just wasn't quite ready for yet…In fact, he highly doubted if he ever would be.

Feeling more confused than ever, Ren was just about to get off of his couch and lie down for some rest, until he was suddenly interrupted with—

_RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNG! _

Jumping in surprise, Ren turned his head to the side and realized that somebody was calling him on his home phone. Curious as to whom it was, he glanced at the caller I.D and saw that it read PRIVATE CALLER. Slowly, he reached for the phone and removed it from the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hi there."

Ren froze. _"That voice …"_

"Surprised? I thought you would be," she said in glee. "Did you think I would never call you?"

"How did you get my number?" he blurted out without thinking.

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out, Ren," she giggled.

Ren had no idea what to say. He was absolutely speechless. His hands started to get clammy as he listened to her familiar voice, ringing in his ears. It brought back so many memories, just like it did when he first saw her at LME.

"Mya," he was able to say after a while, "What are you—?"

"Doing here?" she interrupted.

Ren didn't reply.

"I thought it was obvious."

He shook his head. "Mya, don't do—"

"How long has it been since we last talked?" she asked, ignoring his comment.

Ren remained quiet.

"I feel the same way," Mya murmured gently after she realized he wasn't responding. "It's been so long that I completely forgot."

He could imagine seeing her smile drop in his eyes. How she would look down at her feet whenever she said something that made her sad…how she would refuse to meet his gaze whenever she let something slip that shouldn't have been said. _"She's still the same…"_ he thought tenderly.

"Mya," Ren began in a soft tone. "I'm glad that you're here."

"Are you?" she asked quietly.

"Of course I am. I will always be happy to see you."

Mya laughed. "Thank you. I am too."

Ren smiled in response, listening to her breath come and go with ease.

"You know," she said after a while, "I have to say, you changed quite a bit since the last time I saw you. I almost didn't recognize you there."

He chuckled. "I couldn't tell it was you either…until you rushed at me."

"What, me calling your name didn't give it away?" she teased.

"Just a little bit," Ren replied with a small smile on his lips.

Mya laughed. "I miss that."

"What?"

"Your sense of humor. That has to be one of my favorite qualities of yours," she confessed gently. "You always know how to cheer me up."

Ren suddenly froze again. He didn't understand why Mya had such control over him. She could make his heart beat erratically one second and then stop altogether in another. Ren had never felt so perplexed in his life.

"Ren," she murmured gently. "I miss you."

"Mya…"

"Don't you miss me?" she whispered.

Ren gulped. "You know I do Mya, but—"

"Then will you see me soon?" she asked in an almost eager tone, even though the sadness was still evident in her small voice.

"Why wouldn't I—?"

"Take me to LME tomorrow morning, Ren?" Mya asked abruptly. "It would mean a lot to me."

"Um…sure, I guess I can—"

"Great," she said with a smile smile. "Then I'll see you at 9. Well, I have to go to sleep, Ren. A girl needs her rest right?" She giggled quitely. "Good night."

And like a switch, the line went dead, leaving Ren staring dumbfounded at the phone. Slowly, he placed it back onto the receiver and slumped on the couch.

"What am I getting myself into?" he groaned with his head in his hands.

* * *

Slamming the locker door, Kanae spun around and asked angrily, "I should what!"

Kyoko whimpered and took a step back. "Be nicer," she mumbled pathetically.

"I SHOULD BE NICER! ME! Do I need to remind you that she's the one who insulted me!"

Feeling smaller by the second, Kyoko nodded and replied quietly, "But you sort of initiated it, Moko-san."

"MO!"

In a huff, she stalked over to the door and was about to turn the door knob, when Kyoko quickly flung herself onto Kanae and held her from the back.

"No! Don't leave! Please don't be mad!" Kyoko cried desperately.

"LET GO!"

Kanae tried her best to shake her off, but Kyoko had a grip of a bear. It was impossible. She hung on with the jaws of life. And Kanae could already feel her strength quickly draining. Kyoko was a lot stronger than she thought. Surrendering after what felt like forever, Kanae finally took in a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders.

"You can let go now," she said quietly. "I won't leave."

"Promise?" Kyoko mumbled into her back.

Kanae sighed heavily in response.

Reluctantly, she released her grip and slowly took a step back, but not too far just in case Kanae tried to make a break for it again.

Sighing, Kanae turned around and looked at her fearful friend with her arms crossed. "I might have been a little rude, but you can't deny the fact that she's not exactly Miss Ray of Sunshine."

Kyoko smiled at her comment. "You're right about that. But, you weren't either…"

Kanae flicked her dark hair back, ignoring the last bit. "Look Kyoko, you just need to watch out for her, okay?"

Kyoko furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly that. Just promise me?"

Seeing her unsure expression, Kanae immediately turned on her puppy-dog eyes that she knew Kyoko had no chance of refusing. She was a sucker for those. And right on cue, Kyoko nodded helplessly and wrapped her arms around Kanae in a hug.

"MO!" Kanae cried out as she untangled herself from her arms. "Enough of that!"

Still, she couldn't help but smile at Kyoko's innocence. It was always so easy to please her.

"Come on," Kanae said in a mock tone of annoyance. "Let's get you to the Dark Moon set."

Kyoko nodded happily and followed her out the door.

As the two were walking through the halls and the main floor of LME, with Kyoko constantly talking about the latest episode coming up in the popular drama, a familiar voice suddenly called out to Kyoko in glee:

"KYOKO! Over here!"

Turning her head, Kyoko was surprised to see Mya waving to her from across the floor. But when her eyes wandered to the person beside her, she felt the heat rush straight to her cheeks as she stared into the smiling face of Tsuruga-san.

"Good morning," Mya said with a smile as she approached the two.

"Good—"

But Kyoko suddenly lost her voice. She felt as if the whole world had suddenly frozen in time as she looked at the scene in front of her: Mya and Ren standing next to each other, with Mya's arm wrapped around his own.


	5. Chapter 5: Challeneged

MOSHI MOSHI! Hehe, learned that this week! Anyways, thank you for reading all the other chapters! And I hope you enjoy, review, and favorite this story! Thanks for everything!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

"_What's going on?"_ Kyoko thought helplessly as she continued to gaze at their intertwined arms. _"What's wrong with me?"_

"Mogami-san?" Ren asked in a worry tone as he took a step closer to her. "Is everything okay?"

Mya, on other hand, was looking at her with a curious expression. With her head cocked to the side, she smiled and shook her head in sympathy.

"Kyoko, there's no need to be nervous around me anymore," she said with a laugh. "We're friends now, aren't we?"

Kyoko finally brought her eyes to Mya's amused face. She couldn't find her voice to say anything. Why did it feel like Mya was taunting her?

"Hey," Kanae murmured as she placed a hand on Kyoko's arm. "You alright?"

Feeling the warmth of Kanae's hand, Kyoko forced herself to nod and smile. She turned to Kanae and whispered, "I'm fine."

"Kotonami, nice to see you here," Mya interrupted loudly. "Looks like you're in a better mood today."

Kanae replied in a stiff voice, "Looks like it," without looking at the actress's smug face.

Then without another word, she gripped Kyoko's arm and murmured, "Come on, you'll be late."

Kyoko nodded once more and was just about to follow Kanae when a gentle voice beckoned her back.

"Mogami-san."

Turning her head, she found herself looking straight into Tsuruga-san's eyes, ridden with worry. He had removed himself from Mya's hold and stepped right in front of her. Immediately, Kyoko could feel her knees start to tremble and her hands start to shake at his closeness. Forcing herself to maintain eye contact, she continued to look up at him, but eventually, she felt as if she was drowning.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked gently, leaning down slightly and bringing their faces closer to each other.

Blushing profusely, Kyoko nodded vigorously and replied louder than she intended, "Yes!"

Ren chuckled. "Sounds like you are."

Kyoko laughed breathlessly in return. Then with a bow of her head, she turned around and began to walk in the other direction to the set. But then, remembering what she forgot, Kyoko looked back and smiled widely. "Good morning, Mya-san. Thank you for the reassurance. I'm glad that we're friends."

Then with one last smile and wave at the stunned actress, she walked alongside Kanae down the hall. Kyoko, however, wasn't paying much attention to the direction they were going in. Her mind was completely cluttered with emotions that switched on and off like a light. One second, she was happy and the next she was depressed and disappointed. Kyoko didn't get it at all. Why was she so pent up?

But once they were out of earshot, Kanae immediately gripped Kyoko's wrist and pulled her to an abrupt stop.

"What in the world was that?" she demanded angrily. "Are you insane?"

Kyoko shook her head. "I don't understand…"

Glaring, Kanae crossed her arms and huffed. "You completely froze up! Like some statue! Care to explain?"

Looking down at her feet, Kyoko mumbled, "I don't know why I did that either…I just…couldn't say anything."

"Mo, well there must be _some_ reason as to why."

Then, as if the answer had clicked right into place, Kanae's gaze softened as she murmured, "Was it Tsuruga-san?"

Kyoko looked up with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Did it bother you? How close they were?"

Immediately, Kyoko shook her head and cried, "Don't be ridiculous, Moko-san! Saying things like that…it's just too horrible to think, let alone say out loud!"

"Well, that's the only conclusion I can come up with!" she replied in defiance. "It's the only conclusion that fits! I mean, as soon as you laid eyes on them, you—"

But suddenly, Kanae stopped in mid-sentence. Kyoko had turned her back on her, refusing to meet her friend's astonished gaze. "You're wrong," she said firmly.

Kanae stared at Kyoko's back with wide eyes. She's never seen Kyoko act like this before. It was almost accurate to say that it hurt her. Feeling guilty for upsetting her friend, Kanae sighed and stepped in front of her. "Alright," she murmured gently. "Let's just go before Director Ogata gets mad at you for being late, okay?"

Forcing herself to smile, Kyoko nodded and walked forward, but as she and Kanae continued on their way, she couldn't help but feel as if something was wrong. All she could see in the back of her mind was the look in Mya's eyes as she stood beside Tsuruga-san.

It almost seemed as if it was a challenge. _"But what could she want from me?"_ Kyoko thought while biting on her bottom lip.

Flustered, Kyoko sighed heavily which earned her another surprised look from Kanae. But just when Kanae was going to open her mouth, Kyoko immediately interrupted her with:

"Looks like we're here! Thanks for walking me, Moko-san! Bye!"

"Kyo—! MO!"

Kanae couldn't believe it. She ACTUALLY left her. Stomping her feet on the ground, Kanae gritted her teeth together as she looked down the deserted corridor.

"Absolutely ridiculous," she mumbled to herself as she turned around and walked the other way. But even though she was annoyed at Kyoko's reaction, Kanae wasn't really mad at her. She understood why Kyoko was feeling nervous and wanted some time alone. If anything, this wasn't Kyoko's fault at all. It was…

Feeling the irritation bubble up inside of her at the remembrance of that damn actress, Kanae's pace began to quicken as she recalled Mya's face from earlier.

"_It's one thing to mess with me, but to mess with Kyoko,"_ Kanae thought angrily. "_I won't forgive you."_

Shaking her head, Kanae walked outside of LME and called for a cab. She had her own job to get to, but it seemed impossible to work right now. She felt guilty for leaving Kyoko alone with that monster walking around, but hopefully she won't run into her later. Sighing, Kanae mumbled, "Yoyogi Park please," to the cab driver.

"Sure thing, ma'am."

Once the car started to move, she turned around in her seat and let out a deep sigh.

"_Do your best, Kyoko,"_ Kanae thought silently as the building of LME began to disappear into the horizon.

* * *

"Great work, Kyoko-chan! Thank you for everything!"

"You too!"

Bowing with her hands clasped together, Kyoko smiled and thanked everyone on set for all of their hard work today. Everything went smoothly with no re-do's or malfunctions whatsoever. Take after take, it seemed that everyone was in the zone and had their lines and characters down pat. Director Ogata was quite pleased with how the drama was turning out and his words of support for each and every actor only made the atmosphere that much more positive.

But even though Kyoko was riding off the high of the success of her drama, her smile easily disappeared throughout the day when she thought about that morning. It was so unlike her to dwell on matters like those, but she couldn't get herself to forget it. The same scene kept popping up in her mind and refused to give her any peace.

In desperate need of a break, Kyoko decided to walk down to the café on the lower floor and grab a bite to eat. It was lunchtime so the parlor was quite crowded already, but she managed to find a small table near the window for some fresh air.

After some time, a young waitress approached her table and brought her iced tea and a plate of dumplings. Content, Kyoko began to eat and when she reached her fifth dumpling, she finally realized just how hungry she was. But while she was chewing, she looked out the window and saw a sign in front of a store with Mya's face on it.

Swallowing hard, Kyoko dropped her chopsticks and sighed.

"I don't get it," she mumbled quietly to herself. "Why can't I stop thinking about it?"

But that same memory of Mya's arm around his kept pushing through her subconscious. Kyoko had no idea what it meant. All she was aware of was that it bothered her like a needle to her side and to make matters even worse, she hadn't a clue as to why it annoyed her in the first place.

As she drummed her fingers on the table, Kanae's question popped into her mind and instinctively, Kyoko grinded her teeth together in discomfort. She knew for a fact that Kanae was wrong, that her reaction that morning had nothing to do with the closeness between Mya and Tsuruga-san…right?

Groaning, Kyoko dropped her face into her hands and murmured in frustration, "What is going _ON_?"

"That's what I was going to ask you."

In a heartbeat, Kyoko's head sprung up in surprise. At first, she couldn't believe it. There was no possible way, but when she met his gaze, he smiled warmly at her and chuckled. Hearing the sound of his voice naturally caused the corners of her lips to curve upward as she said, "Hi, Tsuruga-san."

"Hello," he replied as he took a step to the chair across from her. "May I join you?"

Kyoko nodded and blushed as she watched him pull out the seat and sit across from her. He crossed his legs and placed his arms on the table.

"So," he began nonchalantly. "How are you?"

She looked down at her knees. "I'm good."

"Not from what I heard earlier."

Kyoko raised her head and tried her best to smile normally, but it didn't seem like Tsuruga-san was buying it. He gave her that bright smile of his in return and it nearly burned her eyes out. Avoiding his gaze, she mumbled. "Well, maybe not entirely."

With a slight gesture of his hand, he replied, "Then please elaborate."

She shook her head.

Then, as if her radar had gone off, Kyoko knew instantly that he was upset and when she had the courage to look up at his face, she realized that his smile seemed to have gotten brighter than usual. _"Oh crap,"_ she thought to herself as she felt her body instinctively cower in fear.

"Ts-s-ur-ga-san," Kyoko stuttered. "I-I-It's nothi-i-i-ng, really."

He leaned back and crossed his arms, with the same smile upon his face. All the girls behind Kyoko were nearly dying from shock as they stared at his gorgeous face. It was almost accurate to say that their hearts completely stopped. Kyoko's, on the other hand, was beating frantically and not in the good way.

"I—!"

But thankfully, a waitress approached the table once more and asked in a shaky voice, "Tsuruga-san, would you like to order anything?"

Automatically, he dropped his smile just a bit and looked at the actress with still a friendly look in his eyes. "Actually, I'm okay right now. But thank you anyway."

Now it was Kyoko's turn to get mad. "You're not going to eat?" she asked in a critical tone, forgetting her fear earlier. When it came to eating, Kyoko was not one to mess around with.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not hungry."

"Tsuruga-san," she chided. "Aren't you the one that always told me an actor must always take care of his body?"

He looked back in surprise. He never thought she would actually have the courage to rise against him like this. _"So now she's not scared,_" he thought amusedly.

"Yes, I did tell you that."

Kyoko's jaw dropped.

He laughed. "What?"

Huffing, Kyoko averted her gaze in annoyance. She turned her attention toward the menu and immediately picked an item. "Actually, I believe Tsuruga-san will have the turkey sandwich on toasted bread," she said to the waitress who was watching the couple before her with wide eyes.

"Right," she replied slowly as she scribbled down the order. "It'll be out soon."

Once the waitress had stumbled her way back into the kitchen, Kyoko closed the menu and returned her gaze to Tsuruga-san, finding him completely entertained. He chuckled and asked, "Why did you order that for me?"

"Well, if you won't, I will," she replied smugly.

"I told you I wasn't hungry."

She shook her head. "Whether you are or not doesn't matter. You need to eat."

He sighed with a small smile on his lips. "You're relentless."

Kyoko blushed. "I guess so," she murmured quietly. _"I hate it when he teases me like that…"_

Leaning forward, he picked up one of the dumplings off her plate and popped it into his mouth. "You know, I was thinking of getting this."

Shocked, Kyoko stared back with wide eyes. _"Does he not like turkey?"_ she thought in horror.

Looking at her surprised face, he smiled and shook his head. "That was a joke, Mogami-san."

Kyoko laughed nervously.

He leaned back in his chair and looked at her thoughtfully. "Thank you for that."

She raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"For ordering the sandwich," he answered.

He then chuckled and placed his chin in the palm of his hand. "Do you care about my health that much?" he asked in an amused tone.

"Of course I do!" Kyoko replied in earnest.

She froze. _"Did I just…?"_

He laughed. "That makes me really happy."

Kyoko smiled anxiously in return. She was relieved that he didn't take too much from what she said, even though she interpreted her statement as something more. It was incredibly idiotic of her to blurt that out like it was a normal statement. If Tsuruga-san wasn't so understanding, he would have taken it the wrong way...

"_Wait, what's the wrong way?"_ she thought to herself. _"Is there a wrong way?"_

Biting on her lower lip, Kyoko brought her clenched fists to her lap and looked down at the table. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. Because right now, the image of that morning was flooding her memories once again and if he saw the look on her face, he would ask her what was wrong.

But while she was averting her gaze, Kyoko could feel something inside of her begging to be released: a question that she desperately needed an answer to. Still, how could she ask him? It was just too personal. There was no way she could demand something like that from her mentor. It wasn't in her place. She couldn't—

"Mogami-san, is there something—?"

"How do you feel about Mya-san?" Kyoko blurted out without hesitation.

"_Damn it…" _


	6. Chapter 6: Your True Colors

Greetings! Thanks for being so patient with me about updating chapters. And also for reading and your great feedback. It's greatly appreciated and I am very thankful! Hope you like this chapter!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Ren hoped that his face didn't give anything away. Not only was he horrified that out of all questions for Kyoko to ask him it was this one, but Ren also had no idea of what to say. Because, even he himself, hadn't a clue of how he felt about Mya. In fact, Ren was still trying to figure it out.

"_Better stick to a generic answer,"_ he said silently to himself as he replied in a professional tone, "I respect her as a talented actress with a lot of potential. Why do you ask?"

Kyoko bit on her bottom lip. She couldn't believe that he actually deflected the question back to her. _"And you say I'm relentless?"_ she thought darkly. _"Yeah right…"_

Shaking her head, Kyoko replied, "I was just curious. It seems that you and Mya-san are close. But I apologize if I made a mistake."

Ren looked at her directly in the eyes. He didn't know whether or not she was doing it on purpose, but Kyoko was definitely challenging him. Eventually, Ren started to get nervous. His hands were shaking and his heart was beating spasmodically. This wasn't the kind of conversation he wanted to have with Kyoko right now, especially since it was precious time that he could use to get to know _her_ better.

But at the same time, Ren was almost flattered that she was interested in his thoughts and opinions. Kyoko barely ever asked him anything and if this would prolong the conversation they were having, then he was willing to answer.

"Well, I guess you can say Mya and I have known each for a while," Ren said after some thought. "But we haven't seen each other in years."

Kyoko leaned forward in her chair. "Are you old friends?"

Ren chuckled. "I should probably start from the beginning. It might make more sense."

Then, as if she was called from the back, the waitress from before finally came out with Ren's order and placed it on the table. After asking if there was anything else they'd like and receiving a polite refusal, she walked her way back into the kitchen to leave Ren and Kyoko alone.

Taking one sip from her tea, Kyoko smiled and said, "Please continue, Tsuruga-san."

Leaning forward as well, Ren took a deep breath and began, "So, I'm sure you know that President Lory is the one that jump-started Mya's career in Japan, right?"

She nodded.

"The one thing that you might not know was that she was discovered very close to the time when I was by the President as well. In fact, he's the one that introduced us. Eventually, we worked our way through this industry together. Mya and I had a few jobs together, very little ones of course, such as a few mini-commercials here and there, but nonetheless, we did work alongside each other."

"I see," Kyoko said slowly. "So you started out at the same time and helped each other?"

Ren shook his head. "We began our work around the same time, but Mya's career was going in a different direction than mine. You see, Mya's parents were Americans and by the time she had become acquainted with the Japanese culture, they flew her back to America, believing that she would achieve more success there. It seems like the move to Japan wasn't exactly permanent. Her parents were only here on business."

Kyoko nodded. She had to admit though, she was fairly shocked. To be flown all the way to America and still be famous was quite an accomplishment on Mya's part. _"She's amazing,"_ Kyoko thought in awe.

Ren smiled. "From the look of your face, I can tell you're impressed."

She laughed. "It's hard not to."

"My sentiments exactly," he said with a slight nod of his head. "So I'm sure you can infer that Mya has reached her peak in the industry in a different manner than I have."

"_Sounds like you really admire her,"_ Kyoko thought to herself as she looked down at the table. Of course, even _she_ knew it would be impossible not to be. Anyone can see that Mya had talent, but somehow hearing the words from her mentor's mouth made her realize just how _extraordinary_ she really was. And surprisingly enough, it made Kyoko feel…depressed.

After watching her puzzling facial expressions, Ren was just about to ask Kyoko what she was thinking until she suddenly opened her mouth and asked:

"Is she special to you?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Kyoko would have done anything to take them back. It was almost like an impulse, an act she had no control over. And as she stared into his eyes, Kyoko could almost feel a fear slowly forming inside of her. Kyoko didn't understand why she was so tense, but a part of her wanted him to say no, practically begged for it._ "Is that bad?"_ she thought guiltily.

Now it was Ren's turn to be nervous. Kyoko was hitting all the wrong spots and asking all the wrong questions. _"Must I answer this?"_ he thought desperately.

Then, after a short silence, Ren tried his best to smile and replied in a slightly shaky voice, "You can say that, since we've been through a lot together."

Immediately, the feeling of disappointment flooded her heart. That wasn't the answer she was looking for and oddly enough, Kyoko had never felt so distant from him.

"_Right, like you were ever close to Tsuruga-san,"_ she scoffed at herself.

But instead, she quietly replied, "I see." Kyoko didn't know how else to respond.

Ren, on the other hand, was highly confused. Kyoko's reaction to his response was nothing he would have expected. Replaying the words in his head, Ren believed that his answer was innocent enough. _"But then why is Kyoko not looking at me?"_ he thought. _"Did I say something wrong?"_

"Mogami-san, did I—?"

"REN!"

Instinctively, both Kyoko and Ren looked to the entry way of the café and saw Mya waving at them with a large smile on her face and her manager trailing behind. She quickly made her way through the parlor, walked up to the table, and placed a slender hand on his shoulder.

"I've been looking all over for you!" she exclaimed happily. "Yashiro told me you were eating lunch, but I had no idea you would be here." Then she slowly turned her head and laid her emerald eyes on Kyoko. "Surprise, surprise," she murmured softly.

"Mya-san," Kyoko greeted with a small smile. "It's nice running into you."

"Likewise," she replied with a raise of her eyebrow. "I didn't expect to see you here with Ren."

Ren laughed. "I'm actually the one that forced myself upon her. Sorry for my intrusion, Mogami-san," he said apologetically to Kyoko.

She blushed and shook her head. "Not at all, Tsuruga-san. I enjoyed our lunch."

Ren smiled gently in return.

Clearing her throat, Mya took a step closer to Ren and leaned down slightly to his ear. "Ren, before I forget, Yashiro is waiting for you in the conference room. Apparently, you have another job to get to."

"Oh," he said in surprise. "I had no idea."

Then in one fluid motion, he stood up from the chair with Kyoko following close behind. And just as he was about to leave the table, Ren turned around and smiled at Kyoko. Never breaking eye contact, he reached for the sandwich on the plate and held it in his hands. "Wouldn't want to forget this."

Kyoko laughed. "You're exactly right."

Chuckling, he beckoned for the waitress in the back who scuttled over quickly and asked, "May I help you, sir?"

"Yes," Ren began as he reached into his back pocket. "I would like you to charge the bill on this card please."

"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko cried. "That's not necessary!"

But as she was about to step in between him and the waitress, Ren suddenly placed his hand on her arm and firmly held her in place. As soon as their skins touched, Kyoko's heart stopped completely.

"Mogami-san, it's the least I can do."

As soon as the waitress returned his card, Ren looked down at a stunned Kyoko and smiled. "We should do this again sometime," he said gently. "But next time, I'll be asking the questions."

And with one conspicuous wink that only Kyoko caught, he bade good-bye to Mya and Rebecca and swiftly moved through the café, leaving star-struck girls in his wake, including a very shaken-up pupil who seemed to have lost all the feeling in her legs.

* * *

Whistling his way through LME, anyone with eyes or ears could tell that Ren was in a very good mood. The smile on his face seemed to be permanent as he waved at every person he saw throughout the building. He had never before in his life felt so accomplished.

"_And to think, I was even contemplating of not approaching her from the start,"_ he thought with a laugh as he shook his head at his absurdity.

It took Ren quite a lot of courage to walk up to Kyoko and ask if he could join her. And thankfully for him, it seemed like something was bothering her and that alone became the perfect window for him to make his move. Although the conversation at lunch wasn't exactly what he had in mind, the one thing that he would never forget was the fact that she said she cared about him.

"_Well, more like my health, but that's still me,"_ Ren thought in a huff. He wasn't going to let anything bring him down today.

But the one thing that slightly bothered him was Kyoko's reaction to his relationship with Mya. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought she looked sad…frustrated even. But it was ridiculous. Why would Kyoko be upset at something like that?

Sifting through his convoluted thoughts, Ren quickly walked up to the conference room on the third floor where Yashiro was waiting for him. But when he opened the door, he was surprised to find it completely empty, not a soul in sight.

"That's weird," he mumbled to himself. "Where did Yashiro go?"

Confused, Ren got onto the elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor, hoping to bump into Yashiro on his way out. He figured that Yashiro went looking for him and most likely he was in the main lobby. As soon as the elevator let out a gentle "_ding!"_ Ren stepped out and scanned the room.

And just as he suspected, Yashiro was sitting on one of the lounge chairs, reading a magazine in his lap. Ren sighed heavily and shook his head. He couldn't believe how impatient Yashiro was; he should have just waited in the conference room.

"Yashiro," he called out. "You didn't have to leave."

Looking up from the magazine, Yashiro furrowed his eyebrows and replied, "What are you talking about? I didn't go anywhere."

But before Ren could respond, Yashiro grinned and asked, "So how was lunch, hmm? I hope you enjoyed yourself, even though it looks like you didn't do much eating."

Crossing his arms, Ren looked over his manager's head and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about, but yes, I did have a good lunch. It was quite delicious."

"Really now," Yashiro began as he stood up from the chair and placed the magazine back onto the table. "Then why are you still holding the sandwich in your hand?"

Feeling like an idiot, Ren looked down and there it was, his "supposed lunch that he had already eaten," with the wrapper and everything. He laughed sheepishly and said in an uncertain tone, "I ordered a second?"

Yashiro snickered. "You or Kyoko-chan?"

Ren glared. "You do realize that in some countries it is illegal to spy on others?"

"I do know that, but thankfully enough I wasn't spying. I was walking down to get something for myself actually and interestingly enough, I ran into the most delightful scene."

Yashiro grinned widely. "I don't think you even noticed how you two were leaning towards each other, did you?"

"Yashiro, this is a blatant disrespect of—! Wait, we were?" Ren asked curiously, his eyes glowing in anticipation.

He nodded.

Ren couldn't help but smile. _"I guess she was captivated by the lunch like I was,"_ he thought tenderly.

Shaking his head, Yashiro clapped his friend on the shoulder and said, "You should do a better job of covering that up."

Ren cocked an eyebrow.

Yashiro pointed at his love-stricken face.

Immediately, Ren's professional façade washed over and pushed his true self underneath. Holding his head high he asked in a slightly haughty voice, "Like so?"

Yashiro chuckled. "Like so," he agreed.

As soon as their eyes met, the two gentlemen laughed heartily and hit each other on the shoulder. Even after all this time, they could never seem to treat each other like real professionals. They were just too close of friends.

Breathless, Ren ran a hand through his hair and asked, "So, what's this new job all of a sudden, Yashiro? You should have just called me if you needed me to come."

Shaking his head, with the laughter still evident in his voice, he replied, "What job?"

Ren stopped. "Mya said there was something you needed me to do."

"No, there isn't anything."

He scratched his head. "Really? Nothing at all?"

Yashiro shrugged. "Just the interview at three with JTUV. But that's not until another two hours."

Trying his best to hide his confusion, Ren smiled and laughed. "I guess I heard wrong then."

But he knew he didn't. Mya specifically said that he had another job. Ren was sure of it. _"Could she have been mistaken?"_ he thought silently.

Puzzled, Ren bit on his bottom lip, trying to figure it out. But before he could get anywhere, he realized that Yashiro was trying to get his attention out of the corner of his eye. Turning to his friend, he asked, "Yes Yashiro?"

Yashiro clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You're spacing out…again."

Ren smiled sheepishly. "I tend to do that these days."

"Well, then I guess we should preoccupy that wandering head of yours. Come on." And without another word, he gestured for Ren to go ahead of him.

"Where are we going?"

"To the interview. It doesn't hurt to arrive early," Yashiro said matter-of-factly.

"BUT TWO HOURS EARLY?" Ren cried in exasperation. "That's a little much, isn't it?"

Yashiro grinned. "Why Ren? Are you planning on meeting someone?

Ren glowered.

"Then let's go," Yashiro challenged.

Huffing, Ren reluctantly nodded and walked out of LME, with his grinning manager following behind. Ren hated it when Yashiro had the upper hand. He always felt as if he was losing. Wanting to get back at his devious friend, Ren suddenly had an idea.

Turning his head, he called over his shoulder, "Yashiro, you have any cash on you?"

"Yeah, why?"

Ren smiled evilly. "Looks like you need to find another ride home today."

* * *

"Kyoko?" Mya called. "You there? Kyoko?"

Standing like a statue, Kyoko forced herself to get it together and turned around to face Mya. Mya was looking at her as if she was some kind of lunatic, but Kyoko just smiled in return and shook her head.

"I'm fine," she replied. "It's nothing."

Looking at the clock on the opposite wall, Kyoko was just about to grab her bag and leave since her lunch break was almost over until Mya suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Don't leave just yet, Kyoko."

Taken aback, she said in a surprised voice, "Is something wrong, Mya-san?"

Mya shook her head with a smile. "We should talk."

Kyoko looked back at the clock. Filming was going to start again soon and she didn't want to risk the chance of being late. "I don't know," she replied slowly. "I'm sort of crunched for time here."

"It won't be long. Please Kyoko? Just a quick chat."

Biting on her lip, Kyoko was clearly debating on whether or not she should go. But Mya had this pleading look on her face that she just couldn't say no to. Sighing heavily, she nodded and sat back down in the chair.

Mya gleefully clapped her hands and sat down. Then she turned around and called her manager to her.

"Rebecca, wait for me outside."

With a curt nod, she quickly walked out of the parlor without another word or glance.

Letting out a satisfied breath, Mya folded her hands together and placed it on the table in front of her. "So Kyoko, do you eat here often?"

Kyoko nodded. "Whenever I can, actually."

Mya smiled and looked around the café. "It's a really nice place. Very quaint."

"Yeah, I like it here," she said gently.

"Does Ren?"

Kyoko froze. "Umm…I'm not…sure."

Mya laughed. "I'm sure you do," she murmured quietly.

"I'm sorry?"

She raised her head to look at Kyoko with a gaze that would have cut through ice. Immediately, Kyoko could feel her body tense up as if paralyzed from head to toe and all she could do was helplessly stare back into those green pools.

"I don't mean to get all personal so soon Kyoko," Mya began softly. "But I must ask, what's the deal between you and Ren?"

"Tsuruga-san…?" Kyoko stuttered.

"Who else would I be talking about?"

She remained silent.

Mya laughed gently, leaning back onto her chair. "You can tell me, Kyoko."

Kyoko sucked in a breath and shook her head. She reached for the ice tea on the table, in desperate need to move her hands, and placed her lips on the edge, relishing in the cool, crisp taste.

Seeing that she wouldn't respond, Mya instinctively began to glower. Fed up with waiting, she opened her mouth and asked the one question that she had wanted to ask ever since she laid eyes on her: "Do you love him?"

Kyoko dropped her glass.


	7. Chapter 7: A Declared War

First off, I just want to thank FrenchPolynesia for giving me ideas for this chapter. I decided to try to incorporate your input from your last review into this chapter and I hope I did it well. So, here is chapter 7 and I hope you all enjoy it! PLEASE REVIEW!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

As soon as the glass shattered, Kyoko immediately stood up in shock and apologized to the waitress, who came running over in haste, until her voice nearly cracked.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed with her head bowed. "I'll pay for the damages! I promise! I'm sorry!"

The waitress waved her apology away and gave her a sincere smile. "It's fine ma'am. It's just a glass. The most important thing is that you're okay."

Kyoko looked down at herself. Thankfully the glass wasn't full with tea so the damage to her clothes was kept at a minimum. She did have a few shards stuck to her blouse, but she was able to remove them easily enough. Other than that, she was still in one piece.

Kyoko bowed her head. "Thank you for understanding."

The waitress laughed gently as one of the other workers came by with a dust pan and a towel. Working together, the two ladies cleaned up the mess in a jiffy, with every piece of glass safely removed from the customers. Wiping her forehead, the waitress smiled and replied, "There you go! Not a problem."

"I'll get you a new glass, miss," her friend said politely as she excused herself.

Kyoko shook her head and cried, "That's not necessary!"

But the waitress wouldn't have it. She ignored Kyoko's comment and said with a smile, "It's on the house."

Before she could utter another sound, the two waitresses had left, leaving a very embarrassed Kyoko at the table. Sighing, she sat herself back down onto the chair and looked at the seat across from her. Mya remained quiet during the entire fiasco and she seemed to have a small smile on the corner of her lips. But when Kyoko stared into her eyes, she could clearly see a glint that sparkled menacingly back at her.

As if there was no interruption at all, Mya asked in a cool voice, "So do you Kyoko?"

She gulped. "Mya-san, where is this coming from? I don't understand why—"

Mya briefly closed her eyes in annoyance. "It's just a question. Unless you're afraid to answer."

"Of course not! It's just…"

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Kyoko looked down at her lap. She didn't know how to answer at all. And it's not like the question wasn't ridiculous to begin with! **SHE in LOVE with Tsuruga-san?** It was nearly impossible to think of, let alone actually speak out loud. He was only her mentor, someone who helped to lead her through all her tribulations in the entertainment industry. He was a person Kyoko looked up to and hopefully one day match as an equal to as well. As for love, she could never see him in such a way!

But then, why couldn't she say no? Even when Mya was staring her down, Kyoko couldn't find the voice to say that she didn't. It's true that Kyoko had more respect for Tsuruga-san than anybody on this planet, but at the same time, her feelings for him are so different than for anybody else too.

For instance, she always seemed to worry about him, sometimes even more than necessary, whenever he wasn't taking care of himself properly.

"_But that's because you were his manager before,"_ she retorted to herself. _"Therefore, it's natural for you to worry."_

And whenever there were days she didn't see him, Kyoko found herself imagining where he was and what he was doing.

"_That's just me being curious!"_

Then there were moments when Kyoko would look at him out of the corner of her eye and whenever he caught her staring, he would give her that breath-taking smile and she would suddenly freeze up as if she lost all control in her body.

"_What do you expect? He's the biggest actor in Japan! Of course I would be nervous!"_

And no matter how independent Kyoko claimed to be, he was the one she always called to for help as if it was intuition. Sometimes, she even wondered herself if it was because she just wanted to see him, or maybe to hear his voice.

"_THAT'S ABSURD! I DO NEED THE HELP!"_

Frustrated, Kyoko slammed her hand loudly onto the table which caused a few girls to turn around in surprise and Mya to jump at least ten feet into the air. When she realized what she had done, Kyoko quickly turned around and apologized to the people around her and sunk down in her chair just a bit.

Mya laughed nervously and flipped her honey hair over her shoulder. "I didn't know this would be such a difficult question for you, Kyoko."

Kyoko didn't reply. She continued to gaze absent-mindedly at her clenched fists in her lap, refusing to meet Mya's amused face.

"My, my, if I was so off base, then I take back what I asked. You don't have to get all upset."

But just when Mya was about to push herself way from the table, Kyoko suddenly looked up from underneath her lashes with a facial expression that froze Mya in an instant. It was filled with an intensity that she had no idea this girl was capable of. It was almost accurate to say that it made her blood run cold. But the words that came out of her mouth didn't match her gaze at all. Instead, Kyoko replied in a quiet voice,

"It's different than it is with you, Mya-san."

Curious, Mya properly turned herself around to face Kyoko directly and asked in a sweet tone, "And how is it with me?"

Kyoko bit on her bottom lip. She didn't want to repeat his words. It would only add more fuel to her frustration right now, an anger that Kyoko had no idea of why it erupted in the first place.

"He said that you worked together a lot when you were younger. You spent a lot of time in the entertainment industry alongside each other," she mumbled with a slight grimace. It seemed that her mouth was suddenly filled with a bile that she couldn't get rid of. The bitter taste nearly made her want to gag.

Mya smiled and leaned her chin in the palm of her hand. She tilted her head to the side and replied in a casual tone, "You're absolutely right. He and I were quite close in the past."

Kyoko stared back, refusing to be intimidated by her calculating gaze.

"But you know," she began slowly as she began to pick at the napkin on the table, "He did leave out a minor detail. That Ren, he was always so proper." She laughed softly.

"What detail?"

Satisfied that Kyoko took the bait, Mya looked at her out of the corner of her eye and smiled widely. "He forgot to mention the fact that we were more than just friends. In fact Kyoko, we were probably more serious than you could ever imagine."

"I don't get it…" Kyoko mumbled in confusion.

Mya laughed. "Oh Kyoko, do I have to spell it out for you? We were lovers."

She froze.

"Does that surprise you?" Mya asked humorously, folding her hands on top of the table. "I don't think it should. After all, you said it yourself, we spent a lot of time together in the past. Wouldn't it be obvious that we would take the next step?"

Kyoko didn't know what to say. She didn't even know what to think. Mya with Tsuruga-san? As more than friends? Kyoko could feel her head slowly moving from side to side and she immediately saw Mya's smile drop.

"You're in denial about it?" she murmured quietly.

"Why wouldn't he tell me?" Kyoko whispered, ignoring her question.

Mya shrugged, feeling her confidence soar as she witnessed Kyoko's confused and almost pained expression. "Who knows? Maybe he didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"_Is that true, Tsuruga-san?_" Kyoko asked sadly to herself. _"Were you just trying to spare me?"_

Mya shook her head in sympathy as she stood up from the chair, grabbing her purse along with her. "Really Kyoko, there's no need to be upset about it. It's not like you love him, so basically this conversation is null and void. Why don't we just leave it as is and—"

"I didn't say that."

She casually turned around with a smile. "I'm sorry?"

Kyoko raised her head and stared back at Mya with eyes that hardened like stone. "I didn't say I don't love him."

Mya at first thought she had heard wrong. She must have because it wasn't possible that this girl would have any feelings for her Ren. But as she looked back into her eyes, Mya could see the strength that she witnessed earlier, the power that not only surprised her, but also made her slightly worried. Nonetheless, Mya refused to let an amateur have the upper hand. She was never one to lose anyway.

"Does that mean you do then?" she asked sweetly.

Kyoko remained silent, but did not avert her gaze.

Then shaking her head with a grim smile, Mya leaned down to Kyoko's face and asked in a soft voice, "Kyoko, let me give you some advice, hmm?"

Gently, she brought a hand to Kyoko's frozen face and ran her fingers through her hair. Mya then tucked a strand behind her ear and smoothed it into place as she began quietly, "You and I both know how to make it in this industry, don't we? We have to beat out the others, the competition so to speak. And in order to do so, we need to choose our opponents wisely, making sure that we will come out victorious in the end."

Suddenly, Mya's smile dropped in an instant as she placed a firm hand on Kyoko's shoulder with her nails digging into her blouse. "Choosing me as the enemy will _not_ turn out in your favor."

Kyoko could already feel the pain slowly creep into her shoulder. She was almost certain that Mya was drawing blood, but all she could focus on was the murderous look in her eyes. And surprisingly enough, Kyoko wasn't scared. In fact, she could feel her own demonic aura take over and she proudly embraced it. It was like she was Mio all over again. And with a small smile, Kyoko laughed softly and replied, "Are you threatened by me?"

Mya froze. She gradually pulled back and dropped her hand to the side. "What did you say?"

Feeling a new-found power coursing through her veins, Kyoko stood up and stepped in front of Mya, face to face. "I asked, are you threatened by me?"

Laughing, but the tension still clearly evident in her voice, Mya replied back, "Why should I be? I have nothing to fear from you."

"Maybe not, but you seem unsure..."

Averting her gaze, Mya took a step around Kyoko, until she stood back to back. Looking over her shoulder, she asked softly, "What makes you think I'll lose? I won his heart before and I can do it again just the same."

Kyoko clenched her fists, but provided no response.

She chuckled at her silence. "So I guess this is where we stand, Kyoko?"

Nodding, she said quietly, "Seems like it…Mya."

Mya quickly spun around and met Kyoko's dark stare.

"_This girl…"_ she thought in shock._"Did she just—?"_

Then with nothing more but a slight smile, Kyoko hooked her handbag over her shoulder, dropped a few bills onto the table, and gracefully walked out of the café, leaving Mya all alone, speechless.


	8. Chapter 8: A Wall Between Us

Hi there! Sorry for the late update, things have been kinda hectic lately. But here is the next chapter and I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as the other ones. Please read and review!

By the way, thanks for all the reviews in the previous chapter. You guys made me smile. :)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

"YOU SAID WHAT?" Kanae asked loudly as she bounced her way to Kyoko. "No way!"

Kyoko, on the other hand, was not as excited. She sat on the bench in the locker room, wearing her pink, janitorial LoveME uniform and feeling more miserable than ever. Her head was in her hands as she tried her best to organize the flood of emotions that were going through her mind. Groaning in frustration at her lack of self-control, Kyoko lied down on the long, wooden seat and curled into a tight ball.

"I don't know what got into me," she mumbled pathetically as she covered her face with her hands. "I completely lost it."

Kanae stomped her feet on the ground, grabbed her friend by the shoulder, and swiftly pulled her into a seating position. "MO! Stop moping! You did great!"

She shook her head. "I aggravated the number one actress in America, Moko-san. That's NOT great."

"She started it though!"

Kyoko sighed.

Huffing, Kanae dropped herself besides Kyoko and crossed her arms. "I hate to break it to you, but this isn't America."

"So?"

"Soooo," Kanae said loudly, drawing out the word. "Who cares if she's a top actress? Right now, the only thing you should see her as is competition."

"I guess," Kyoko mumbled.

Kanae sighed. "What happened to that brimming confidence of yours?"

"I lost it when I finally realized who I was going up against. I can't win this, Moko-san."

Smiling gently to herself, Kanae looked over at Kyoko's drooping head. "What can't you win?"

"I can't win Tsur—!"

Kyoko froze immediately.

Kanae grinned. "I'm sorry, one more time?"

She clenched her fists. Annoyed, Kyoko stood up and began to pace back and forth across the room. She couldn't believe she said that. This had nothing to do with him whatsoever. This was between her and Mya, nobody else.

But even though Kyoko was desperately trying to persuade herself that he wasn't involved, all she could hear was her own words ringing in her ears: _"I didn't say I don't love him."_

"_So does that mean I do?"_ she asked herself silently as she leaned her forehead on the cold metal door.

Kyoko let out a deep breath. She had no idea how she felt. All she knew for a fact was that she was in deep trouble and was in desperate need of a miracle in order to get out of the rut she dug herself into.

Suddenly, she felt a gentle hand patting her back. Kyoko smiled.

"I'm an idiot, aren't I?" she asked softly.

Kanae laughed. "I always thought you were, but what made you realize it now?"

Kyoko shook her head and turned around. "I blew up over nothing. I got mad over nothing. All of _this_ is for nothing."

"I wouldn't say 'nothing.'"

"Then what would you say?" she asked, leaning back onto the door. "I have no idea what I'm fighting for."

Kanae shook her head. "Yes, you do."

"Moko-san, please don't start this. You know how ridiculous that sounds? Besides, I already told you that he doesn't—!"

She put up a hand, stopping Kyoko's ramble in an instant. "This isn't about how he feels. It's about how you feel."

"What does it matter?" Kyoko cried loudly as she dropped onto the floor. "Me? Him? It's the same!"

Deciding that she had to get tough with her friend, Kanae dropped her efforts of trying to be nice. She lowered herself onto the floor and sat beside Kyoko. "You don't know how he feels," she replied in a firm voice.

Kyoko sighed. "Moko-san, be rational. Do you even realize what you're saying?"

"I'm not saying he does. I just want you to be aware that you don't know what's going through his head."

"I guess," she mumbled, leaning her chin onto her knees. "But I'm pretty sure I do."

"How do you know?"

Kyoko sighed. "Call it girl's intuition."

Kanae laughed, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. "Look, the only way you would know is if he tells you."

Kyoko's head sprang up in surprise, with her heart beating spasmodically in her chest. It was almost as if she was having some sort of heart attack. She stared into Kanae's face and couldn't believe that her friend was actually being serious.

"You want me to ask him how he feels about me?" Kyoko asked quietly, even though the stress was clearly evident in her face.

Kanae shrugged. "I'm just saying that that's the only way you would know."

She looked down at her folded hands and stretched out her legs. "Mya knows," Kyoko mumbled.

"Knows what?"

"That he…has feelings for her," Kyoko replied with difficulty. The bitter taste was coming back again and she had such an urge to spit it out.

"Tsuruga-san cares for Mya?" Kanae asked incredulously.

Kyoko nodded. "He told me that himself."

Kanae bit on her bottom lip and sighed. "I guess it's natural," she said after some thought. "I mean, they were close friends."

Kyoko clenched her teeth. That was the same exact response Mya gave her yesterday. _"Maybe it wasn't as ridiculous as I thought."_

"But that doesn't mean he cares about her now," Kanae added as she ran a hand through her dark hair.

Kyoko laughed darkly. "Do you really believe that? You saw them the other morning, Moko-san. It's pretty obvious that he does."

"So she had her arm wrapped around his," Kanae replied while waving her hand at Kyoko's face as if she was brushing away a fly. "That doesn't mean anything. Besides, I thought you didn't care."

She didn't answer.

Kanae looked over at Kyoko's face and smiled sadly. She placed a hand on her shoulder which caused Kyoko to raise her head. "Mo, don't look like you already lost."

"Moko-san," Kyoko began in a soft voice. "I don't know what it is I'm losing."

She shook her head. "Forget about that. You already got yourself an enemy and the only thing you can do now is deal with it. Just focus on the present. Like right at this moment, if you had to do something, what would you want to do?"

Kyoko stared back in Kanae's determined face. That was a really good question that Kyoko didn't have an answer to. All she knew was that she and Mya were not going to be friends, whether Kyoko liked it or not. As for Tsuruga-san, she was as confused about him as ever. It was almost accurate to say that her head was spinning just thinking about him.

But at the thought of his name, Kyoko could feel a small smile form at the corner of her lips. Kanae raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What?"

"Right now," Kyoko said gently as she looked down at her hands, remembering the film schedule for Dark Moon today and who would be there. "I want to go to the set."

"But you don't have work today."

Kyoko only smiled at Kanae in response.

* * *

Unfortunately for Kyoko, seeing Ren became nearly impossible. Even on days when they had the same schedule to film Dark Moon together, he didn't have time to talk to her. Ren was always busy, whether it was discussing ideas with the director or getting ready for his next job. And even though those situations were reasonable enough, Kyoko couldn't help but have an uneasy feeling that it was all set up.

The only time she ever spoke to him was as Mio and that wasn't exactly the kind of conversation she wanted to have with him, let alone the fact that it wasn't exactly Kyoko he was talking to. But then again, after each scene they shot together, Ren would return to his normal self, as would Kyoko, and he would smile brilliantly in return and compliment her for all of her hard work. Just a simple notion like that was enough to make her blush profusely and look down at her feet as she a mumbled a small "thank you" to her alluring mentor.

And even though Kyoko was grateful to have spent any time with him at all, she barely ever saw him outside of work. Then, to make matters worse, he was always around Mya. Everyday when she saw him walking through the front lobby of LME, Mya would either walk alongside him, chatting away, or she would be waiting for him on one of the lounge chairs. Although it shouldn't deter Kyoko to greet him in the morning, Mya's gaze every time she saw Kyoko made it impossible for her to approach him.

It was practically murderous. Ever since the last talk they had together, Kyoko and Mya hadn't said very much to each other. A "good morning" here and there was more than enough to keep their little animosity towards each other a secret from the public eye. Both girls knew that fighting out in the open would be detrimental to their careers and were not going to risk it at all.

But Mya never failed to make Kyoko miserable by taking all the extra time Ren had for herself. Kyoko frequently caught them at the vending machine together, talking merrily away with a cup of tea in their hands, or sitting in the café having lunch at the window. Sometimes, she even had a glimpse of Mya in his car as he drove her home from a long's day work.

No matter how busy she was, whether they were photo shoots or interviews, Mya always had time for Ren and she made sure that he didn't have any time for anyone else, but her. It was almost accurate to say that wherever Mya was, Ren was not far away.

Eventually, not seeing Ren for such a long time, took a toll on Kyoko's heart. She never realized how much she treasured the time they had together in the past, even if it was only for a few seconds during the day. Thankfully for Kyoko though, she still had filming to look forward to, since it was the only place she could see him without Mya getting in the way. But his schedule was constantly changing. Not only did he have to juggle other jobs on top of Dark Moon, but he also needed to accommodate his time with Mya's schedule since President Lory left her in his care.

But to Kyoko's surprise, it wasn't the fact that Mya was getting in the way that bothered her. It was just not being able to see Ren. Every day that she walked into work, she couldn't help but look around the room and see if he had arrived yet. And on those rare occasions that she did see him, it seemed that Ren always knew the exact moment she entered the building because he would meet her gentle gaze and gracefully walk towards her with a heart-breaking smile.

Of course, by the time any greetings were exchanged, Mya would come charging through, placing a hand on Ren's arm and interrupting the conversation with anything she could. And feeling as helpless as ever, Kyoko would just nod glumly as Ren would apologize for leaving so soon and walk away with Mya by his side.

And as she stared at his retreating back with a heavy heart, the only words that ran through her mind were, _"I miss you, Tsuruga-san."_

_

* * *

_

"Alright Ren, you have a good night."

"You did great today."

"Thanks for everything!"

Ren smiled at his fellow workers on set, thanked them for all their hard work, and bade them goodbye as he walked towards the back door. The sun had already set and the wind was picking up tremendously. It was a horrible day to have a photo shoot. And standing on the roof and wearing thin, light clothes didn't make the situation any better either, but Ren was willing to do anything for a job. Thankfully, taking the photos was quick so he was able to run down the stairs, get into the dressing room, put on his normal clothes, and walk out of the building in about thirty minutes.

Everyone had left already, except for a few janitors and some people straggling behind. Other than that, the LME building was practically empty. And even though the chances were slim, Ren couldn't help looking around to try to find her; it was almost instinctual. Twisting his head at every corner, he hoped to catch just a glimpse of her blazing, orange hair, but with no success. She was nowhere to be found.

"_What do you expect,"_ he thought sadly to himself. _"It's already 8 o'clock. She wouldn't be here."_

But the feeling of disappointment was just too much for him. It had been exactly 13 days since their lunch and ever since then he hadn't said much to Kyoko. Actually, he hadn't seen her very much at all. Ren tried his best to catch her whenever he had a break, even on the Dark Moon set, but he just never had the time.

Ren shook his head. _"But time isn't the only factor,"_ he said silently.

Thinking back to the last few days, he realized that most of his time was spent with Mya. Even though he enjoyed being with her, he couldn't help but feel as if it was all on purpose. Like somehow, his whole schedule was warped around so that they would be inseparable. She was always with him to the point that whenever anyone tried to look for him, they would just try to find Mya and voila, Ren would be near by.

Ren sighed. He couldn't believe that she had already been here for two weeks. It didn't seem that long to him at all. _"I guess time really flies when you're busy."_

As he made his way down to the garage on the lower floor, Ren found himself thinking about Kyoko again. It was starting to become a habit now. Every time he had a few minutes to himself, Ren would allow his mind to wander, look up at the ceiling or sky, and wonder where she was. Sometimes, he caught himself smiling at nothing as he imagined her joyful smile or the deep blush that colored her cheeks whenever he let a genuine smile slip.

"_Where is she now?"_ Ren asked himself as he leaned on his silver car door.

Sincerely curious, he took out his phone and looked at the time. It was exactly 8:11. "Probably at home, eating dinner," he mumbled out loud.

Ren smiled tenderly as he opened up to his contacts list and scrolled down until he saw her name. It was obvious that Kyoko played a huge part in his life, but as much as he loved her, sometime he couldn't help but wonder if she ever thought about him. She might not love him as he does for her, but does she think about him too?

Ren sighed heavily. "That's probably asking a little too much," he murmured softly.

But while he was holding his phone, Ren suddenly remembered that he still had a date with her. Well, maybe not necessarily a date, but he promised that they would eat lunch together again.

"_Maybe we can eat dinner instead…"_ Ren thought slowly as he stared at her number.

At first, Ren had his mind set on calling her. He called her plenty of times before so it wasn't something new to him. But when he dwelled on the fact of what he was going to do, Ren felt slightly anxious. What if Kyoko rejected the offer? What if she was absolutely horrified about the invite?

Ren groaned and ran a shaky hand through his hair. He was voted as the most attractive man in Japan multiple times and yet he couldn't even ask a high school girl over for a simple dinner. "You're pathetic," he said as he crossed his legs in frustration.

However, the thought of having a whole night with Kyoko in his apartment was doing wonders on his heart. Not only was it beating like crazy, but it also swelled with an excitement that he couldn't explain. Clenching his fist, Ren stood up straight and dialed her number. He had to give it a shot, besides what if she said yes? Smiling to himself, Ren was just about to click SEND when suddenly a loud bang erupted from the door at the end of the room.

Jerking his head up in surprise, Ren squinted his eyes and realized that it was a silhouette of a young woman walking towards him. The click-click-click of heels brought shivers down his spine as he tried his best to guess who it was.

"I thought you would have left by now," a gleeful voice said as the person got closer.

Ren sighed in relief. "Don't scare me like that."

She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Sorry."

Still holding onto the phone, Ren smiled down at Mya and gently untangled himself from her arms. Even though Ren cared for Mya, he had to be careful around her and that kind of position will do more harm than good for the both of them. He took a slight step back and leaned onto the car as she followed his movements and stood beside him.

Mya giggled and pointed at his phone. "Were you going to call me?"

Chuckling, Ren lightly nudged her on the shoulder, but didn't reply.

Even though she laughed, Mya caught on immediately. She knew Ren had something, or rather someone, on his mind and she had a horrible feeling that it wasn't her. Taking in a deep breath, she removed herself from the car and stood in front of him.

Placing her hands on his chest, she looked from underneath her lashes and said in a silky voice, "Come eat dinner with me, Ren."

"Now?" he asked in surprise.

Mya nodded. "You don't have anything else to do."

Ren bit on his bottom lip. The phone felt incredibly heavy in his hand and remembering whose number that was on his screen right now only made him want to call her even more. He was wasting time. But Mya…she was staring at him so intently that he felt himself freeze up from top to bottom.

"Mya," he muttered with difficulty. "How about next—"

She shook her head and leaned in closer, until they were face to face. "Ren, I'm going to leave soon. I want to spend as much time with you as I can. Is that such a bad thing?"

That did it. The guilt that washed over him nearly stole his breath away. It was true that Mya only had two more weeks here and she did come all the way from America to visit him. But at the same time, he hasn't seen Kyoko for so long, and it was nearly tearing him apart.

"Ren," Mya murmured softly as she reached for his phone. She held the black device in her hands and looked at him directly in the eyes. "Please."

He wanted to say no. He wanted to tell her that he had other plans. But Ren didn't have the heart to tear her down. Feeling his heart shatter to pieces, he nodded slowly.

"_I'm sorry, Kyoko,"_ Ren thought in pain as Mya snapped his phone shut.


	9. Chapter 9: A Little Luck Doesn't Hurt

Hi everyone! So here is part 9 of my story and once again, I hope you all enjoy it. Please read and review because your feedback really helps me to write better. And I'm also really happy that you guys are liking my story so far. All your hatred towards Mya tells me that my story is coming out the way I wanted it to. Hehe, thanks again!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

"President Lory sir?" Mya asked tentatively as she poked her head through the thick double doors. "You wanted to see me?"

He stood at the large window, wearing an elaborate Chinese Emperor ensemble and gazing down at the busy streets with his arms behind his back. At the sound of her voice, he turned around and gave her a small smile.

"Come in Mya. Make yourself comfortable."

She nodded politely and stepped inside as his door silently closed shut. After taking a quick look around, Mya decided to sit on the plushy red couch that was lined with gold in the center of the room. As she stared at the President's face, Mya had a feeling that this wasn't going to be a regular conversation. Even though he smiled at her, the intense gaze in his eyes made her shut up immediately. Mya would never admit it, but the President had been the only person in her life that could ever elicit fear from her so easily.

President Lory walked over to a small table and poured two glasses of tea before he sat down on the seat across from her that seemed to be more like a throne than a seat. After handing her the glass and receiving a polite "thank you," he leaned back into his chair and met Mya's anxious gaze with a chuckle.

"You're not in trouble," he began half-heartedly. "So you can relax."

Mya laughed nervously in response.

Taking a sip from his tea, the President placed his head onto one of his hands leaning on the armrest and asked, "Mya, you've been here for a little over two weeks and I have barely seen you at all. You must be incredibly busy."

"Time has gotten the best of me, sir," Mya replied sheepishly as she looked down at her lap. "I'm sorry for not visiting you sooner."

The President waved his hand at her apology and shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with that. Who am I for you to need to come to visit so regularly?"

He laughed at Mya's grimace. "But are you enjoying your time here in Japan?"

"It's like visiting the past all over again," Mya replied with a reminiscing tone as she raised her head to answer a seemingly innocent question. "I can't believe how much I missed this place. I feel like I'm home after leaving for such a long time."

The President nodded. "From what I can tell, it seems that you and Ren are catching up. Is that right?"

Mya smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "We have."

"You must have missed him in America."

She nodded silently.

"And you're making up for all the lost time here?"

Mya bit on her lip. "President Lory sir, you're saying it as if I'm a nuisance."

He chuckled deeply and said with a smile, "That wasn't what I was implying at all. But if I insulted you, then I apologize."

Mya looked down at her feet. This time, she felt as if she was insulting him.

"Mya," the President began softly, but with a seriousness that wasn't there before. "He isn't the same person he was in the past."

She raised her head in confusion, but did not reply.

"If you couldn't convince him to come with you before, do you sincerely believe you can do so now?"

Mya tensely gripped the armrest and averted her gaze.

President Lory stared back as he waited patiently for a response.

"It was different then," she whispered back. "He and I were different."

"Do you think he loves you more ever since you came back?"

Mya remained silent.

The President subconsciously nodded and reached for his glass on the table. "Then what is different?"

She glared at the carpet and murmured. "I have more to offer now."

"A new job position?"

Mya froze.

"It's difficult to keep things from me, Mya," the President replied in a matter-of-fact tone as he took a sip of tea. "Especially something as big as that."

She raised her head with wide eyes and asked, "How did you know?"

"I just put the pieces together. You're arrival to Japan seemed to have more of a purpose than just coming back to your roots, although I'm sure it did play some part. And when I discovered that your latest movie _Smoke and Mirrors_ was missing a male lead and that you refused to accept any other actors that the director offered in America, let's just say that that in alone itself reinforced my beliefs."

Mya didn't reply. She felt completely humiliated. For two weeks now, Mya believed that she kept that a secret from everyone. Her own manager didn't even know. But here was the man that she hadn't seen in years and he figured it out like it was nothing at all.

"Do you really think that Ren will comply with what you want if you offered him this role?" he asked.

In an instant, Mya's whole demeanor had changed. The politeness was still there, but there was almost an animosity that was swirling around her as she looked into President Lory's face and replied, "It wouldn't hurt."

The President straightened up. All efforts of being civil were truly gone by now. "Why did he refuse you in the past, Mya?"

She bit on her lip and answered quietly, "He wasn't ready to go. He wasn't willing to uproot his whole life yet."

"And you think he is now?"

"There's nothing holding him back," she said with confidence.

The President laughed. "Mya, you don't seriously believe that, do you?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Even after you met her?" he challenged as he looked back intently.

Mya's heart stopped beating. All she could hear was her own ragged breathing as the words of the President ran through her mind like a record player. Forcing herself to stand her ground, she replied in a quiet voice, "Kyoko is not an obstacle."

"Then why do—?"

"President Lory sir," Mya interrupted as she raised her head with hard eyes. "I think the only obstacle right now is you."

Leaning forward, the President replied firmly, "It's true that Ren needs me to sign off the papers for him to leave, but rest assured Mya, that I will sign anything he wants me to."

"Do I have your word sir?"

He nodded.

Then standing in a fluid motion, she took a last sip from her tea and bowed her head. "Then please leave everything else to me. I thank you for calling me up here, President. I hope to talk to you soon."

But just as she turned her back on him, the President's voice suddenly froze her in the spot as he said, "You still haven't learned, have you Mya?"

She turned her head to the side and asked, "I'm sorry, sir?"

"It's one thing to be confident," he began slowly. "But another thing entirely to underestimate others."

He stood up and stepped directly in front of her. Instinctively, Mya cowered back in fear as she looked up into his hardened eyes.

After finding her voice again, she shook her head and asked softly, "You have that much faith in her?"

"I did choose her, Mya…as I chose you," he replied simply.

Staring back into his dark eyes, Mya could do nothing, but nod curtly. Then without another word, she respectfully bowed her head and took her leave. As the door silently closed shut, the President slowly took his place by the window once more and stared absent-mindedly into the red horizon.

Sighing heavily, he murmured to the empty room, "Don't take Kyoko too lightly, Mya. She may very well surprise you…as she did me."

* * *

Holding the folder to his face, Yashiro was trying to figure out the best way to get Ren from job to job without any setbacks. Everyday, it seemed that some company wanted Ren's face for a new ad or to have a short interview with him that normally lasted for at least an hour. He could never catch a break.

"_I guess that's one of the setbacks of being so famous,"_ Yashiro thought to himself as he continued his brisk walk through LME. He wasn't exactly paying attention to where he was going since it was pretty late anyway and not that many people were in the building. Besides, Yashiro knew the way to Ren's fitting room like the back of his own hand; he didn't need to look up to know when to turn a right or a left.

"So a photo shoot at three, gives us an hour before the autograph signing at four," he mumbled to himself as his eyes scanned the schedule. "But how are we supposed to fit in Dark Moon if we have no idea how long his shoot will be?"

Flipping through the pages, Yashiro could already feel his body start to wear itself out at just the thought of running around all day tomorrow with Ren. Sighing, he decided to take out his pen and rearrange some of the times, that way he could squeeze in filming for Dark Moon. After all, it was Ren's most favorite job.

Yashiro grinned. If he was good at anything, it would be having an uncanny ability of having Ren meet up with the woman of his dreams, whether he liked it or not.

"I refuse to make him lose any more time with her," he said with determination as he moved an outfit fitting from 5:25 to the next day. "There! That gives him a good hour to pop in on set."

But while he was holding the folder even closer to his face to get a better look at his hard work, another person was walking towards him with a mountain of paperwork in her arms that unfortunately obscured her vision as well. Finally, before any of them could stop it—

CRASH!

Falling to the floor with papers flying everywhere, Yashiro landed with a thud as his glasses fell off of his face, leaving him nearly blind without them.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, Yashiro-san! This is all my fault! Are you alright?"

Looking upwards at the voice, Yashiro could barely make out the face of the person speaking to him, but he could identify that voice from anywhere. Smiling in what he hoped was her direction, Yashiro reached out a hand and felt a warm, soft pressure as he was pulled up to his feet.

"I'm fine, Kyoko-chan. I should have watched where I was going too."

Then looking down at the floor, all Yashiro could see was a messy blob of colors with white patches everywhere, which he believed to be all the papers that fell. Frowning, he was going to bend down and try to grope for his glasses, but then suddenly he felt someone place the frames over his eyes and in an instant, he was looking in the face of a very worried Kyoko.

"I'm really sorry!" she exclaimed again as she bowed feverishly to him. "That was extremely clumsy of me."

He laughed as he adjusted the spectacles on his face. "No harm done, Kyoko-chan. Here, let me help you."

Going on his knees, he began to scoop up the papers that Kyoko dropped and ordered them into a neat pile. But as soon as he got one stack done, she immediately swooped down like a hawk and got everything in her hands before he could even blink.

In fact, Yashiro had no idea when he had stood up and picked up the folder. Everything became a giant blur of pink and orange as Kyoko put everything back in its place at lightening speed.

"T-t-thank you," Yashiro stuttered in astonishment as he looked at her smiling face. "That was fast."

"I hope you're not missing anything," she said with worry as she began to look at the stack of papers in her hands, trying to see if anything was out of place.

Yashiro opened his folder and saw that everything seemed to be in perfect order. He shook his head and smiled. "Nope, it's all good."

Sighing in relief, Kyoko allowed her shoulders to slump a little as she met Yashiro's amused gaze.

"What are you doing here so late, Kyoko-chan?"

"Sawara-san asked me to bring him some files from the main lobby," she replied as she moved her arms up and down to motion towards the stack of papers.

"Another LoveMe assignment?"

Kyoko laughed and nodded. "It never ends."

"What about you, Yashiro-san?" she asked with a small smile on her lips. "You're here quite late too."

"Well actually, I was just about to meet—"

But Yashiro shut his mouth immediately. His eyes seem to widen in excitement as he stared into Kyoko's surprised face at his abrupt stop. _"I can't believe my luck,"_ he thought gleefully as his mind began to work furiously to carry out his next devious plan.

Shaking his head furiously, Yashiro looked at Kyoko with a fervent expression and asked quickly, "Kyoko-chan, do you think you can do me a favor?"

Caught off guard by his inquiry, she nodded slowly and said in an uncertain tone, "Sure, Yashiro-san. How can I help?"

Slipping the folder in between his arm and his body, Yashiro reached into his front pocket, grabbed a pen, and took out a small piece of paper in the folder. Scribbling furiously, Yashiro wrote down some quick few words and folded the paper in half.

"Since you're going to go see Sawara-san, you'll be passing by the room anyway, so I was hoping if you could give this to the guy in room 318C on the third floor."

Kyoko nodded as Yashiro slipped the note in between her fingers. "I can do that. Who is this for?"

"Well, thanks for the help, Kyoko-chan!" Yashiro exclaimed as he ran down the hall. "It means a lot!"

"Wait! Yashiro-san! Who am I giving—?"

Yelling over his shoulder, Yashiro cried, "Sorry Kyoko-chan, but I have to turn this in and catch the next cab before it leaves! Thanks again!"

"Cab? But don't you always go home with Tsur—!"

Yashiro didn't catch the last bit as he rounded a corner and the voice of Kyoko faded away. Smiling to himself and slightly out of breath, Yashiro quickly pushed the elevator button and got himself down to the ground floor. While waiting for the elevator to stop, he looked at his wristwatch and realized it was 7:38. _"Perfect,"_ he thought as he flipped open the folder once again and turned to today's schedule.

Chuckling to himself, he scratched out in red ink:

_8:00 Treating Ren to dinner_

And replaced it with:

8:00 _Ren's time with Kyoko_

_

* * *

_

Huffing and slightly confused at what just happened, Kyoko jogged down the hall with the papers in her hands until she reached the stairs. Climbing one by one in long strides, she finally reached the third floor and walked into the room on the right, also known as Sawara-san's office.

But when she looked inside, it seemed that he had gone off somewhere since the room was empty. Kyoko placed the stack of papers on his desk in a neat pile and quickly walked out.

"Alright, now it's off to…"

Kyoko looked down at the note. She had such an urge to open it and take a quick peek, but she refused to. Kyoko didn't want to lose Yashiro's trust in her and he specifically said it was for someone in room 318C, even though she had no idea exactly WHO that someone was. After walking for a few minutes, she finally arrived to the room which had a large star on the door.

"A fitting room?" Kyoko asked out loud. "I wonder who's in here."

But as she reached out her hand to knock, the door suddenly swung open from the inside and a flood of light washed into the hallway.

Seeing a tall, dark silhouette, Kyoko automatically bowed her head to the floor and closed her eyes as she held up the note with both hands and exclaimed nervously, "Um, Yashiro-san wanted me to give you this! I'm sorry for bothering you so late, but—!"

"Mogami-san?"

Kyoko's eyes sprang open.

"_It can't be_…"


	10. Chapter 10: Some Time Alone

Hey there! So I'm updating a little sooner than I thought and oddly enough this chapter is significantly longer than the others too. But considering the lack of Ren and Kyoko goodness in the previous chapters, I don't think it will be too much of a problem. Hehe...please read and review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Ren couldn't believe his eyes. Staring down at her bowed head, he could already feel his heart beat faster and faster as if it was just seconds away from exploding into pieces. He had to get a grip. He couldn't let her see him so panicky.

Calling her name once again, he said, "Mogami-san? What are you doing?"

Slowly, Kyoko raised her head. She knew that her facial expression said it all: blatant surprise. And when she finally registered who she was staring at, Kyoko could feel her eyes widen as she looked at her mentor, dressed in a black and white tuxedo with a red rose pinned to the collar of his suit and his brown hair slicked back. If she thought he looked good before, it was nothing compared to how he looked now. The suit clearly emphasized his broad shoulders and hung snug to his body so that any fool with eyes could see that Ren was very well-built. His hair was pushed out of his face so that all you could focus on was his dark, brown eyes that seemed to burn with an intensity that nearly knocked Kyoko senseless. And all she could think of as she stared into his handsome face was: _"Oh…my…god…"_

"Mogami-san?"

Breaking through her trance, Kyoko immediately stood up and clasped her hands in front of her in order to stop the trembling. "I'm sorry, Tsuruga-san! I—was just surprised—to see—you—here. I didn't—think I would run—into—you out of all—people," she said with difficulty.

"_Oh…my…god…"_

"My sentiments exactly," he replied with a smile. He couldn't help but notice that Kyoko was stammering more than she normally did. But deciding to overlook that, he asked, "It's nearly eight. What brings you here all of a sudden?"

"Uh—uh—!"

"_Oh…my…god…"_

Kyoko started to panic. She couldn't get her head on straight. He asked her a question and she couldn't answer! Why _was_ she here? Wasn't she supposed to give him something? What was it? DAMN IT, WHY DID HE HAVE TO WEAR _THAT _RIGHT NOW?

"Oh my god…"

But this time, she said it out loud.

Laughing, Ren asked, "I'm sorry?"

Horrified, Kyoko was nearly going to make a run for it until she felt her hands clench around a small piece of paper. She sighed in relief as her brain finally started to work again. Finding her normal voice, she held up the note and handed it to him. "Yashiro-san wanted me to give you this."

Ren gently took it out of her hands. "Thanks," he said without opening it. He didn't want to miss a single second with her. "Is that all?"

Kyoko froze. _"Wait, did Yashiro-san want me to give him something else?"_ She stared back into Ren's smiling face. _"Oh…my…god…"_

Meanwhile, Ren was very confused. He was staring at Kyoko as if she was some sort of miracle that appeared right before his very eyes, but she didn't seem to notice it in the slightest. He was sure that his facial expression was not something she was used to, but her eyes were constantly scanning him, up and down, not to mention, her mouth was slightly open in awe. It was like Kyoko didn't realize how happy he was to see her at all.

Finally, after a prolonged silence, she looked up nervously and asked, "Tsuruga-san, why are you wearing a tux?"

Ren faltered. Now it all made sense. He was dressed in an extremely fancy get-up and his appearance must have surprised her. Ren chuckled sheepishly.

"Sorry, it completely slipped my mind I was wearing it," he replied as he took a quick look at himself. "You see, there's a new magazine for bridal dresses coming out soon and I'm supposed to model as the groom for the catalog sometime this week. I just got out of a costume fitting."

Before she could help herself, Kyoko immediately began to imagine him at a church alter, wearing all white and standing next to a minister with a serene smile on his face. She could even see the bride standing next to him, with her slender hand in his. _"I wonder how I would look in a white gown…"_

As soon as the words ran through her head, Kyoko's hands instantly went up to her head as she smacked herself repeatedly for such a ridiculous thought. She was absolutely flabbergasted that an image like that actually came up to mind, let alone her horrifying idea!

Ren, on the other hand, was shocked as well. Although he's seen Kyoko inflict personal punishment before, it never ceased to surprise him especially at times when he witnessed it first-handed like this. Not really thinking about it, he reached out and grabbed one of her hands before it came raining down on her head.

"What are you doing?" he asked, shaking with laughter.

Kyoko's hands stopped. She looked at the two intertwined hands in front of her and nearly broke to pieces. Kyoko could never get over the feeling of his skin whenever she had the chance to touch it. It was almost like it was a spell that froze her entire body, rendering her useless to its magic.

She couldn't find the words to say anything except blush profusely at his warm skin and slowly brought her other arm to her side. Staring up at his amused face, Kyoko couldn't help but smile back either. It finally hit her that after two long weeks, she had finally gotten the chance she had been waiting for: a chance to see him.

And here she was, wasting it by acting like an idiot! Shaking her head and desperately trying to come up with a fake excuse, Kyoko stammered, "Thought I felt a bug on my head."

Now, she really wanted to hurt herself. Was that seriously the best she could come up with?

Ren raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She nodded vigorously. Letting go of his hand, she quickly ran her fingers through her hair and suddenly exclaimed, "But it's all gone now! I guess it was just my imagination!" Kyoko laughed in what she hoped was a normal-sounding voice.

Unfortunately it wasn't. Ren continued to stare at her with the same skeptical look.

Kyoko forced herself to stare back into his disbelieving eyes with hopes that he would let it drop. If he found out what she was thinking about, not only would Kyoko die of humiliation, but he would probably think she was a nut-case!

Realizing that it _was_ Kyoko after all and that she _was _known for odd actions, Ren just shook his head and laughed. "I'm not even going to ask."

Kyoko smiled in relief.

"However," he continued. "There is something else I do want to ask you."

Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "Yes, Tsuruga-san?"

"_This is it,"_ Ren thought determinedly, taking a deep breath. _"My one chance. I can't mess this up!"_

Clearing his throat, he asked, "Are you busy tonight?"

Kyoko didn't expect that. At first, she just stared back at him dumbstruck because there was no way he just asked her such a question. It didn't make sense at all. But even though she couldn't believe it, Kyoko couldn't deny the way her heart swelled with a feeling that made her smile in return. Shaking her head, she replied softly, "No, why do you ask?"

Ren slightly got fidgety as he ran his fingers through his hair and said, "Well, I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner tonight. You bought me lunch, and now I want to buy you dinner."

Kyoko laughed and shook her head. "Technically, _you_ bought _me _lunch."

"Well if you're going to get all precise here," he began with a chuckle. Then thinking hard, Ren finally came up with the perfect question. "Okay, how about this: Since you ordered lunch for me, I was hoping I could order in some dinner for you."

Forcing back a smile, she asked, "Do I get to choose?"

"Well, since _I_ didn't, I would believe that it's only fair if you didn't." Ren chuckled at her grinning face. "But considering the circumstances, I _think_ I could make a slight change."

Kyoko laughed. "I would love to, Tsuruga-san."

Practically beaming, all Ren could do was smile back in return and reply, "Great."

"But," Kyoko began suddenly. "Do you mind if I change first?"

Kyoko really didn't want to go out in her LoveMe uniform. It was embarrassing enough walking around the company looking like this. She didn't need outside publicity either.

Ren nodded. "I need to get out of this myself," he said while picking at his tux. "It's not as comfy as it looks."

"But you look really good in it."

Kyoko froze.

Ren stared back with wide eyes.

"I mean!" Kyoko began anxiously. "It's a really nice tux and—uh—uh—!"

Looking left and right, she suddenly bent over and gave Ren one last bow before she exclaimed, "Well I got to go change! I'll meet you in the lobby, Tsuruga-san!"

And in an instant, there was nothing left but the dust that Kyoko left drifting behind as she dashed away as quickly as possible. Even when she was long gone, Ren still didn't get a hold of himself yet. He continued to stare at the same spot Kyoko stood, feeling his heart beat in overtime. Smiling widely and shaking his head, Ren finally looked down in his hand and realized that he was still holding Yashiro's note.

Curious, he unfolded the creases and saw that it had only two words: HAVE FUN

Ren chuckled. "Will do, Yashiro…"

* * *

"_Relax, relax,"_ Kyoko kept chanting in her head as she slowly made her way down the stairs to the lobby. She would have taken the elevator, but she figured that she needed time to get her head on straight before she met Ren.

The idea of spending dinner at his place was doing wonders on her heart. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and she was sure that the anxiety she felt could be plainly seen on her face as well. But no matter how nervous she was, it was the excitement that was crippling her. Kyoko had no idea that she would run into him so soon and to actually have time with him now was just too good to be true.

When she finally reached the bottom stair, Kyoko scanned the main lobby and realized that there were still two girls at the front desk. But when her eyes wandered to the lounge chairs, she could feel a smile form at the corner of her lips as she stared into the leaning silhouette of Tsuruga Ren. He wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings, but instead his eyes were kept downward with his arms crossed over his chest.

As she walked closer, Kyoko hadn't a clue why, but she suddenly found her focus on his clothes. Maybe it was because she saw him in a tuxedo before, but she never realized before just how close cut his clothes were. They practically framed his body and showed off every feature that contributed to his accomplishment of being awarded the most attractive man in Japan. He wore a beige leather jacket over a black knitted, long-sleeve shirt and a pair of grey trousers. A simple outfit really, but because it was on him, it looked like it was worth more than anything she had ever seen.

Hearing the sound of her footsteps, Ren slowly raised his head and met her surprised gaze with a warm smile. "Hello," he murmured softly.

"Hi," she replied in a breathless voice. "Did you wait for a long time?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. Are you ready to go?"

Nodding, Kyoko stood with her hands clasped in front of her as he removed himself from the chair and walked beside her. After exchanging one more smile, the two began to walk outside the lobby, not realizing that the two girls at the front desk were struck with awe and jealousy as they watched Kyoko leave LME with the man of their dreams.

Oddly enough, the car ride wasn't filled with conversation. Ren had a lot to say to her, but he didn't want to break the feeling of contentment that was swirling around in the air. Peeking out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kyoko looking out the car window with a smile on her lips, but also her hands clenched in nervousness in her lap. Frowning slightly, Ren had hoped that Kyoko would be use to being alone with him by now, but he guessed it was too much to ask of her so soon.

"_Hopefully by tonight, that will change,"_ he thought as he returned his gaze to the road ahead.

Kyoko knew instantly when they reached his condo. She had been here a few times before and was well aware of Ren's classy tastes since anyone on the outside could see that this place wasn't sold to just anybody. Looking up at the highest floor, she could already make out which window was his. After blushing profusely when he opened her door for her and led her up the stairs, Kyoko finally found herself standing in his living room as he softly closed the door behind him.

"So," Ren began as he walked into the kitchen. "Any preferences to what you want to eat?"

"Anything is fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Because the last time I chose, you didn't seem very happy with my choice."

Kyoko instantly remembered the first time she ate out with him. Out of politeness she wanted him to pick his favorite meal, but she had no idea that he would offer boiled frog legs! Thankfully, he made sure if she was pleased with his choice first and Kyoko was quick to jump the gun so that she would eat something more scrumptious than amphibian appendages.

"Then how about Ramen?" Kyoko offered, with a slight grimace from the memory.

Ren chuckled. "Sounds good."

After placing his car keys and his cell phone on the counter, Ren picked up the house phone and dialed the best noodle house he knew and ordered in two bowls of Ramen that the restaurant was well-known for.

"Thirty minutes?" Ren repeated into the receiver. "That'll be fine. Thank you again."

He hung up the phone.

"I guess we have some time to kill," he said with a smile as Kyoko was trying to stop herself from staring at his face. She seemed oddly interested in the dishtowel hanging on the rack.

But hearing his voice, Kyoko turned around and nodded. "Should we watch some TV then?"

At first, Ren was going to say yes. But then he realized that it had been so long since Kyoko had been at his place and he really didn't want to waste precious time watching television. Besides, it might prevent the two from talking and Ren wanted a chance to actually have a conversation with her.

Suddenly, he had an idea.

"How about a tour of the house instead?" Ren asked with a smile.

"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko began slowly. "I've been to your place before…"

He shook his head. "You haven't seen everything though."

She turned her head to the side with a puzzled expression.

Ren chuckled and beckoned her to follow him out of the kitchen. Leading the way, he turned a right and walked down the hall until he reached the entrance of his bedroom.

Immediately, Kyoko stood still.

Realizing that she stopped, Ren turned around and stared at her standing at the door of his room as he stood at the foot of his bed. "Is something wrong, Mogami-san?"

Kyoko shook her head. She thought it was extremely improper for her to barge into such a private room. Even though she had been here before—heck, she had been ON his bed before—Kyoko just had a feeling that the circumstances right now were different. And being in his bedroom was definitely not good.

"No, I just—I've seen your room, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said nervously.

Ren laughed. "I'm not showing you the bedroom, Mogami-san. But you do have to walk through here to get to it."

He pointed to the door over his shoulder. "It's actually in here."

Seeing her skepticism and slight panic, Ren decided that he had to physically lead her in. With a smile, he walked towards her and held out a hand. "Come here."

Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise. She stared at his outstretched hand with a frantic heartbeat and could clearly sense the trembling in her knees that she felt earlier before. But seeing the tender gaze in his eyes, Kyoko forced herself to take a step forward and to raise her hand. Slowly, she placed her hand in his and felt him squeeze slightly in reassurance.

Gently pulling her along, Ren walked towards the door and turned the knob. Kyoko couldn't hold back the gasp. It was the largest walk-in closet she had ever seen. Every piece of the wall was lined with racks of clothing. It was practically his own private department, except it was a lot neater than any store in a mall. Everything seemed to have a specific place; one place was set for trousers, another for shirts, another for polos, another for belts, and on and on.

"WOW," Kyoko whispered.

"I went a little overboard the last time I bought clothes," Ren said with a guilty shrug of his shoulders. "But this isn't what I wanted to show you."

Turning to his left and with her hand still placed in his, he walked over to another door and opened it. If Kyoko thought he had way too many clothes, she must have thought he was insane about how many pairs of shoes he owned. It was an entire closet of sneakers, dress shoes, and sandals, lined up one after the other.

Kyoko couldn't believe it. "And what's your excuse for these?" she asked in shock.

Ren laughed. "Nothing, I just like shoes."

She giggled.

"But this isn't it either."

"I'm getting a feeling that I'm never going to see it," Kyoko said with a teasing voice.

He smiled at her casualness and suddenly reached up to pull a thick rope that was hanging from the ceiling. With one hard tug, a square door was suddenly pulled downward and a wooden ladder was revealed. Ren looked over his shoulder and saw Kyoko's wide eyes.

"What do you think?"

"Where does _that_ lead to?" Kyoko asked. It was like a secret passageway that led to a far-away place!

"You'll see," Ren replied as he placed his foot on the first step of the ladder. He climbed all the way to the top until he reached the ceiling and pushed against it with his shoulder. With a slight groan from the wall, another door popped open to reveal the night sky!

Stepping through, Ren looked down at a flabbergasted Kyoko who remained motionless at the foot of the ladder. He reached down a hand. "Just a little bit farther, I promise."

Kyoko shook her head in disbelief and followed his footsteps. As soon as she placed her hand in his again, Ren tenderly pulled her through the door and set her on her feet. Kyoko now found herself standing on the roof of his condo.

Speechless, Kyoko slowly walked around and realized that it was practically empty except for the railings around the walls and a few satellite dishes. But the most amazing thing about being on the roof was the sky. It was absolutely pitch dark up here and all that could be seen for miles was the twinkling stars from above.

"How did you—when did you—oh my goodness…" Kyoko began in amazement. "It's beautiful."

"I come up here a lot to think," Ren explained. "Nobody knows about this place, except me…and now you."

Kyoko smiled. "It's wonderful."

Looking up, she couldn't believe her eyes. Everything was so bright up here. The moon even seemed brighter than the sun from where Kyoko was standing. She had never seen such a perfect night before in her life.

Allowing her eyes to wander, Kyoko finally spotted it. Quickly turning around, Kyoko met his amused gaze as he realized what she just discovered. He gestured her to go ahead and Kyoko nearly ran towards it.

Running her hands along its cold spine and turning the knobs, Kyoko couldn't get over how large the telescope was. It was massive! It seemed to belong to one of those elite science observatories and here it was sitting on a roof all by itself, glimmering in the moonlight.

Before Kyoko could ask anything, Ren walked up behind her and said, "I bought it around the time when I discovered this place."

"I never knew you were a star-gazer," Kyoko replied as she leaned down to look through the eye hole. Immediately, Kyoko gasped as she found herself staring at the bright, round moon that seemed close enough to touch. She never realized just how beautiful it was or how the stars around her looked like tiny explosions that littered the night sky. There were millions of them!

"Amazing," Kyoko said breathlessly. She turned around to see Ren's relaxed gaze pointed upwards. Smiling, she asked, "What's your favorite star?"

Caught off guard, he looked back into her amused face and repeated, "Favorite star?"

Kyoko nodded.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Mogami-san," he began in a teasing tone. "I can't really choose between stars. I personally think everyone has their own special talent and it's not in my place to pick among my fellow workers."

Catching on immediately, Kyoko giggled and replied in a mocking, scornful voice, "You know what I mean, Tsuruga-san! I'm talking about those stars!" She pointed upward.

"Oh those?" he asked casually, following her fingers with his eyes. "I don't really know…I guess if I really had to choose, I would say—the red one."

Kyoko slowly scanned the sky and after a few long seconds, she found it. It was barely visible among the others since it was so close to the moon, but she could make it out.

Puzzled, Kyoko looked back at him and asked, "Why that one?"

Ren shrugged. "I always tend to look for that star whenever I come up here. It's one of the hardest to find, but it's also the most interesting."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"It's different from the rest, right?" Ren asked as he looked back at Kyoko.

She nodded and gazed at the star again.

"But even though it's not as big and even though it's not as bright as the others, it continues to shine in its own way." By this time, Ren found himself staring at Kyoko's awed expression as she continued to keep her head turned upwards. "It has its own qualities that make it amazing from the rest and I can't help but admire it."

"Never saw it like that before," Kyoko murmured softly. "It's really beautiful, isn't it?"

No longer thinking about the star, Ren continued to stare at Kyoko's serene expression as he replied tenderly, "Yes…absolutely beautiful."

Suddenly, a chilly wind blew across the roof and caused Kyoko to tremble involuntarily. Ren noticed it immediately and in one fluid motion, slipped out of his leather jacket and placed it upon her shoulders. Kyoko turned around and was just about to refuse, but when she looked at his face, she realized how…caringly he looked back at her.

"I don't want you to get sick," he murmured gently as he stepped closer to her, hoping to shield her from the breeze.

All Kyoko could do was smile and turn back around as she mumbled a soft thanks to her mentor, relishing in the warmth of his jacket. She had no idea if he had noticed, but Kyoko was well aware of how close they were. In fact, she even found herself leaning her back against his solid chest and could feel the warmth emanating from his body. Taking in a deep breath, Kyoko was suddenly hit with a familiar smell.

She smiled. _"I remember,"_ she thought gently as the memory of his arms around her body flooded her mind. It was during the time when Kyoko felt her first fear about whether or not Corn was alive out there in the world and Ren was the person who reassured her he was. Kyoko could clearly remember that day…how she felt so protected in the embrace of his arms and how she easily believed his words even when he didn't have any proof to show for them. Looking up at the sky, Kyoko suddenly wondered and sighed.

"What are you thinking about?" Ren whispered. The time seemed to be too calm to break with normal voices.

"I was just thinking," Kyoko began gently. "If Corn is up there."

"Corn?"

Kyoko nodded. "Remember how you told me his wings have grown and now he has the ability to fly?"

She felt Ren move his head up and down.

"Well, I assume he's far away now…in a world where only fairies with the best wings can reach."

Ren chuckled softly and shook his head. "I think he's closer than you think."

Turning around and facing him completely, Kyoko asked, "What do you mean?"

"I think he's still here. That he hasn't left yet."

She smiled widely. "Really?"

Ren nodded.

Kyoko didn't understand why but his words made her feel so light all of a sudden. Every time she thought about Corn and about how she might never see him again, she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of pain at the thought. But as his words ran through her mind, she realized that he could be right. That Corn could still be out there and that maybe one day…she would run into him again. Just like the way she did before.

"Tsuruga-san?"

"Yes, Mogami-san?" Ren asked.

"I want you to meet Corn one day."

Taken aback, Ren froze. "Why do you say that?"

She laughed softly. "I think that you and Corn would get along really well. Because both of you have something that not many people have."

"And what would that be?"

Kyoko looked up and smiled at his curious gaze. "The ability to make me feel safe."

Ren's heart was beating wildly by now. He had never seen Kyoko so completely vulnerable before. The way she gazed at him, the way she smiled, the way she spoke to him…it was all too much. He didn't have much self control left. All he could see, think, and hear was this amazing person who had a hold over his heart that no one had ever had before. And he gladly gave it to her. Ren knew for a long time, even before he went into acting, that he loved her. Even as Corn—or rather _Kuon_—he knew that Kyoko was different…that she was exactly the kind of person he needed in his life. And to share this moment with her right now was more than he ever deserved.

Slowly and cautiously, Ren brought a tender hand to her face as he brushed his fingertips across her cheek. He could easily see how her eyes widened in surprise and the blush forming upon her cheeks. He could see how her knees trembled at their closeness and the ragged sounds of her breathing as her words were caught in her throat. Ren knew that he shouldn't, that he should let things be…but how long could he endure this torture?

Very gently, he brought his other arm and wrapped it around her waist. He pulled her closer to his body until her face was at his chest and in one fluid motion, he was holding her…just like he did before. His jacket was still wrapped around her shoulders, but the trembling that he noticed before increased significantly so it wasn't the cold that was shaking her now.

Ren could feel both her hands on his chest, preventing her full body from leaning against him, acting like some kind of barrier between them. But Ren didn't ask for more. This was enough…for now.

Suddenly, he felt her slender hands clench the fabric of his shirt as she leaned her forehead onto him. Very softly, he heard her whisper:

"Tsuruga-san?"

"Yes, Mogami-san?"

"I missed you."

And as Ren could clearly feel his heart burst into a million pieces, he had no idea that down below in the kitchen, on the cold table counter, his phone was continuously vibrating with the name MYA BEAUMONT flashing on the screen.


	11. Chapter 11: It was Good While it Lasted

Greetings fellow readers. Once again, I thank you for reading my story and writing helpful reviews. The comments for the previous chapter made me really happy! I'm glad you guys enjoyed it! Please read and review part 11! :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Turning her head from side to side, Kanae brought both her arms over her head and gave a big a loud yawn as she stretched. There were plenty of knots in her back and neck and Kanae would have done anything to get a good, long massage. Work had been quite strenuous on her body since her latest drama consisted of her being a spy for an underground government. All the "missions" she had to complete on set were finally taking a toll on her body.

But thankfully, it was 9:00 so she was walking home from the set. She would have taken a cab, but she thought that maybe a long walk would do her some good. The weather was a little breezier than normal, but Kanae didn't mind. She personally preferred the cold over any kind of weather. The clicking of her boots broke the silence as she walked through the deserted park. It was slightly eerie walking alone in the dark, but at the same time, Kanae didn't want anyone to interfere with her one chance of having complete and utter peace.

When she finally reached the exit of the park, Kanae took a left and was going to continue along the way, when she heard angry voices in front of a hotel building. Kanae frowned. She hated public fights. She felt that it was a pathetic attempt to have a few, glorious minutes in the limelight—highly idiotic. But when she walked a bit closer, she suddenly jumped behind a tree and peeked around the trunk. _It was Mya._

And she did not seem happy. The look on her face was contorted in absolute anger as she spoke to her manager who was cowering in fear. Straining her ears, Kanae heard her snarl:

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Rebecca. _I told you to get me the car!"_

Rebecca shook her head and replied in a shaky voice, "Mya please. It's late and dangerous around this time. As your manager, I can't let you—"

"Rebecca."

She froze.

"No one tells me what to do. What makes you think _you _can?"

Rebecca gulped. "I'm your manager," she replied in a small voice.

At this, Mya laughed in such a shrill voice that it nearly made shivers go down Kanae's spine. She always knew that Mya had a dark personality, but she never realized it was like this. Kanae would never admit it, but she was quite nervous being so close to her right about now.

"My manager," Mya repeated with a sneer. "_You_ my manager? The only thing you can _manage_ is following me around like a pathetic, pack mule. I don't need you, Rebecca. You, however, need me, don't you?"

Rebecca whimpered in fear.

Mya smiled evilly and placed a slender hand on her shoulder. Rebecca flinched.

"Did you forget everything I did for you? I took you out of that dismal life of yours and I can easily kick you back into it. All I ask for is utmost loyalty. And you still can't give me that?"

"You have it, Mya," she began in a quiet voice. "You have my loyalty."

"Then prove it. _Get me the car._"

Rebecca couldn't win. Mya had an air around her that was both menacing and threatening. How could she have the upper hand over somebody so sinister?

Kanae almost felt bad for her, but at the same time, thought it was her fault to enter in a world Mya was a part of. Anybody could see she wasn't a normal actress and it was Rebecca's fault for not having the strength to leave.

But still, Kanae was confused. Why did Mya need the car so badly? Did she have to go somewhere?

After nodding solemnly, Rebecca took out her cell and dialed a number. In a quiet voice, she muttered a few words that made Mya smile triumphantly. It seemed that Rebecca surrendered.

"It's coming," she whispered.

"Thank you, Rebecca," Mya said sweetly as she patted her on the shoulder, as if the argument before never happened. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

She shook her head. "No, Mya."

"And now, you will tell the driver to take me to Ren's place."

Both Kanae and Rebecca gasped in surprise.

Mya glared. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"R-r-ren's pl-l-lace?" Rebecca stuttered. "Why do you want to go there?"

"It's none of your business, is it?" Mya spat. "Where I go has nothing to do with you."

Rebecca cowered, but stood her ground. "What if he's not home?"

"Did I ask you what you thought?" she scowled. "JUST DO AS I SAY!"

In an instant, Rebecca scurried away to leave Mya all by herself, fuming at nothing. She began to pace back and forth as Kanae could distinctly hear her mutter:

"There must be a reason why he won't pick up. There must be. Why won't he?" She sighed heavily in frustration and crouched down, putting her head in her hands.

Kanae noticed she was trembling, but she had a bad feeling that it wasn't from the cold breeze. Slowly, Mya raised her head and glared up at the night sky. "I swear, if this is your doing, Kyoko…"

Kanae froze. She didn't even think of that possibility, but like trickling water, the answer seemed to be slowly coming into place. Usually by now, Kyoko would call her on her cell and tell her all about her day at work (in excruciating detail no less), but it was already—Kanae took out her cell phone and looked at the time—9:12 and she still hadn't heard anything from her yet.

Biting on her lower lip, Kanae watched apprehensively as a black car stopped in front of the hotel building. A large man in a black suit got out of the driver's seat and opened the door as Mya got to her feet and stepped in. Not saying a single word, Mya sat inside, the anger still evident in her face, as the man shut the door and got back into the driver's seat. Silently, the car drove away.

Kanae was still standing behind the tree, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She had a feeling that something bad was going to happen and Kyoko would undeniably get tangled in it.

"I have to make sure," she muttered panic-stricken as she flipped open her cell phone to contact Kyoko.

* * *

"You know what I realized?" Ren asked as he put his chopsticks down onto the table.

Kyoko, who was slurping up the last piece of noodle, quickly swallowed and raised her eyebrow with a questioning look.

Ren shook his head and placed his elbows on the living room table, letting the ends of his fingers touch. "This whole entire time, you have been doing most of the asking."

"Is that bad?" Kyoko asked with an amusing smile.

"Well, I distinctly remember that _I'm_ supposed to be the one with the questions, and you were going to be the one who gives the answers."

She laughed and wiped the corner of her mouth with her napkin. Folding her hands into her lap, Kyoko nodded and replied, "I do remember you mentioning that. But there really isn't anything about me that's interesting."

Ren chuckled. "I don't believe that's true."

He looked at her directly in the eyes and smiled warmly. "I think you're very interesting."

Kyoko blushed profusely and brought her gaze downwards. He was turning on his super smile again and if Kyoko stared for too long, her eyes might just burn inside its sockets—it was already too late for her little demons. Voice slightly shaky, Kyoko asked, "Then what would you like to know, Tsuruga-san?"

Ren tapped his finger on his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm," he began slowly, but as he looked at Kyoko's apprehensive face, he decided to give her some ease of mind first before he bombarded her with questions. "How about a simple one first: would you like something to drink?"

Laughing, Kyoko replied, "That's what you want to know?"

"It's a good question. It tells me about your eating habits, or should I say drinking habits."

Kyoko nodded with a smile on her face. "Anything would be fine, Tsuruga-san."

He gave her one last smile before he quickly got to his feet and walked into the kitchen, leaving Kyoko alone to her wandering thoughts. She slowly looked around the room with an almost reminiscing expression. Eating in his living room was suddenly bringing back a lot of memories.

But when her eyes fell upon his beige jacket draped over the arm of his black couch, Kyoko could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks as she automatically looked down at her lap. Thinking back to what happened on the roof, Kyoko couldn't explain what came over her. She didn't know why she told him what she did. It was almost as if she was acting on impulse. And never before in her life did Kyoko ever act so…confident around him. She was normally very shy and reserved, but being alone with him gave her the feeling that she could act like herself.

The hug wasn't new to Kyoko either. He had held her before, but this time, there was something different about the embrace. Before, he held her out of comfort, but earlier, the motive seemed to be something else. In fact, it made Kyoko slightly nervous thinking about it.

"_Although,"_ she thought dreamily. _"It was nice."_

Sighing, Kyoko began to pick at the napkin on the table as she continued to replay the hug in her mind. It was something she would never forget in her life, even if she wanted to. But why would she? Kyoko had never felt so wonderful before.

Eventually, Ren made his way back into the room with two glasses of pink lemonade in his hands. "Here you go," he said while placing one glass in front of her. "Hope it's not too sour."

Taking a sip, Kyoko shook her head. It was crisp and refreshing, exactly the thing she needed in order to clear her head. "Thank you, Tsuruga-san."

"You're welcome," he replied with a smile as he sat back across from her. "So," he began casually as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"So?" Kyoko replied.

"What's your favorite color?"

Kyoko stared back skeptically. "Really?"

Ren nodded.

"Um, I guess I would say—purple."

He smiled. "Let me guess, because it's the color of royalty, right?"

Kyoko grinned widely, but didn't reply. She just laughed and nodded.

Ren chuckled. "Figures," he said with a slight shake of head. "You always seemed interested in fairy tales."

Of course, he was lying. This wasn't a guess at all; Ren knew for a fact that Kyoko loved anything that had to do with princes or princesses. It was just another part of her innocent nature. She always had her head in the clouds, but sometimes, Ren hoped that she would take her head out someday and look at what's in front her. _"Don't you see me at all?"_

But hiding his discomfort, he just shook his head and was going to ask her what made her so interested in fairy tales in the first place until he was interrupted with a vibrating phone.

Kyoko looked at her bag on his couch and saw her pink cell blinking in the front pocket. Apologizing to her mentor, she quickly leaned over and picked up the device, flipping it open. It was a text from Kanae. It said:

_Kyoko, where are you?_

Puzzled, Kyoko quickly typed in "_Tsuruga-san's place, why?"_ and clicked send. She sat back down and continued to stare at the phone in confusion. Why did she have a feeling that Kanae was worried?

"Is something wrong, Mogami-san?" Ren asked curiously.

Kyoko bit on her lip and shook her head. "I don't think so," she replied slowly. "It was just Moko-san, asking me where I was."

Ren frowned. "You sound stressed."

Kyoko shook her head and smiled at him. "I'm probably just overreacting. It's okay, Tsuruga-san." But even though she said that, Kyoko couldn't help but feel that something was off. Nonetheless, she prayed that it really was just her making a big deal over nothing.

"It sounds like you and Kotonami-san have gotten quite close," Ren pointed out casually, leaning his head into the palm of his hand. "You must be really happy."

"I am," she said, looking down at the table. Kanae was Kyoko's first real friend and she felt incredibly lucky to have found her in the first place. "And to think, we became enemies right off the bat when we first met each other."

Ren chuckled. "Auditions can do that to you."

Suddenly, he came up with the perfect question. And this time, he was incredibly curious to hear her answer. Straightening up, Ren said, "Which leads me to my next question."

Kyoko raised her head.

"What was your first impression of me when we met?"

She faltered. Immediately the first word that came to her head was JERK. But it wasn't her fault though! He did treat her quite cruelly in the beginning and Kyoko was sure he did it on purpose. Biting on her lower lip, Kyoko mumbled, "You know what I thought."

Chuckling, Ren leaned forward and replied, "I would rather hear what you have to say. I don't want to assume anything."

Kyoko began to fidget. She didn't like this question at all. She knew telling him the truth would be incredibly insulting, but lying to him would be even worse. Kyoko was well aware of how much he hated liars.

Taking in a deep, shaky breath, Kyoko said quietly, "I thought you were…mean."

"That's all?"

Kyoko averted her gaze. "And that you were conceited."

Ren smiled at her refusal to look him in the eye. "Anything else?"

"And that you were a pretty boy."

That made him laugh. Kyoko quickly turned her head to catch her mentor laughing heartily with his hand banging on the coffee table. Even though she knew she had just basically insulted him, Kyoko couldn't get over how _sweet_ he looked laughing so naturally. She smiled and began to giggle too. His laugh was contagious.

"A pretty boy, huh?" he asked in a breathless voice. "That's something I haven't heard before."

Blushing scarlet, Kyoko looked from under her lashes and murmured, "Sorry."

Ren shook his head and waved her apology away. "Don't be. I'm glad you told me that. Thank you for being honest."

Caught in his gaze, Kyoko could do nothing, but helplessly nod. Feeling the heat rush to every part of her body, she slowly averted her eyes and forced herself to stare at the remote on the table.

"It's funny, isn't it?" Ren began in a gentle voice, "how things have changed so much between us."

Kyoko looked up and could feel her breath catch in her throat. The turbulent changes in the mood were taking a serious toll on her heart. The tender look on his face was the same one that he gave her on the roof. But this one made her even more nervous because she could clearly see it in the light. It was so loving that Kyoko could already feel her heart pound mercilessly against her chest.

But she had no idea how to respond to his comment. It's true that her feelings towards him have changed tremendously. She no longer thought of him as someone who was out to torture her nor did she ever once thought he hated her. Yet, Kyoko still hadn't a clue of how she felt about him.

Admiration was a definite yes. And maybe even sometimes anxiousness. But there was something else, something underneath all that, a feeling that Kyoko couldn't grasp. Ren was different than any other man Kyoko had ever met. And he made her feel different as well. It was almost safe to say that he affected her life in a way no one else could.

"I like the way things are between us," she murmured softly, not daring to look him in the eyes just yet. "It's nice."

Kyoko could hear his breaths come and go. He didn't respond either. At first, she feared that she might have said something inappropriate, but suddenly, he said something that made her heart stop altogether.

"But what if I want more?"

Kyoko raised her head to meet his penetrating stare. She couldn't breathe. The silence seemed to stretch on forever as she watched his eyes flicker with a flame that seemed to burn with more intensity in every passing second. But just as when Kyoko was going to open her mouth to speak, her phone suddenly vibrated again, making both of them jump hastily in surprise and breaking the tense atmosphere immediately.

With trembling fingers, she looked down at her lap and flipped the cell open. It was another text from Kanae, but this time, her message made Kyoko's blood run cold.

_Get out of there NOW._

"Why?" Kyoko asked out loud.

"Mogami-san, what's—?"

But before Ren could finish his sentence, there was a knock at the door. Furrowing his eyebrows, Ren excused himself from the table and slowly strode over to the door. Automatically, Kyoko stood, preparing to greet whoever came through the door.

Turning the doorknob, Ren pushed the door opened and suddenly saw—

"Mya?"

Kyoko's heart shattered to pieces.


	12. Chapter 12: Torn

Hi everyone! I'm so pleased with the reviews I'm getting from you guys. It's great to know that you are all enjoying the story. It really helps me to keep going. Thanks again! Please read and review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

The atmosphere had changed drastically. The tension that swirled around them could practically be cut with a knife. Ren stared at Mya with wide eyes while Mya's gaze was locked on Kyoko's. If there was anything these girls shared, it was the look of horrible surprise. But there was a glimmer in Mya's expression that made it perfectly clear she was more than just upset with the predicament before her.

Forcing herself to turn away, Mya looked up at Ren and realized that his surprise was not out of his joy of seeing her, but quite the contrary.

"Hi," she murmured quietly, hoping to ease the tension.

Ren didn't respond. He continued to stare at her, not really knowing how to react with her being here. He could feel Kyoko's alertness behind him. It was clear that she didn't like the fact that Mya was here, and Ren couldn't help but feel the same. He basically just confessed his feelings to Kyoko and didn't even get a proper response. Bringing it up again later will nearly be impossible.

Seeing no change in his expression, Mya looked down glumly and said, "I didn't mean to bother you."

But while her face was sad, on the inside, she was writhing with anger. Seeing Kyoko in his apartment was the last straw. Mya didn't even want to imagine what they were doing. Even though the scene looked innocent enough, she couldn't get over the fact that these two were alone in such an intimate place. The hatred she felt towards Kyoko soared to an indescribable degree. Mya refused to be beaten out like this. _"Two can play this game, Kyoko."_

"Mya," Ren began slowly, "why are you here?"

She raised her head to look at him. Even though his expression was friendly, Mya could hear the biting tone in his voice. It was clear that she came at the wrong time, but she wasn't going to leave just yet. She would die first before she allowed Kyoko to have the satisfaction of winning.

Reaching into her bag, Mya drew out a thick, yellow envelope and held it in her hands. Ren looked down and furrowed his eyebrows. The words _Smoke and Mirrors_ were printed on top in big, black letters.

"It's for you, Ren."

"Isn't that the title of your new movie?" he asked.

Mya nodded.

"Then why are you giving this to me?"

"Ren, can we please talk for a little bit?" she asked softly, ignoring his question.

Immediately, Ren tensed up. He didn't want to go anywhere right now, especially anywhere without Kyoko. This was his one chance to be with her and he wasn't going to let anything—or rather anyone—ruin it.

Mya hastily added, "It won't be long. I just need a quick word."

She stared up into his eyes with a pleading expression. Her knees started to tremble in nervousness because it looked like nothing could break his resolve. Ren didn't move an inch.

"Tsuruga-san."

Mya and Ren jumped in surprise and turned to look at Kyoko, who had a small smile on her face.

"It's okay. Go on ahead."

"Mogami-san," Ren said in quiet astonishment, "Are you sure?"

Kyoko nodded. "It's fine."

She suddenly looked at Mya straight in the eyes. "Because I'm not going anywhere."

Mya's eyes hardened into stone as she stared into Kyoko's defiant face, hearing the obvious challenge in her voice. Her hands were clenched into tight fists at her side, and all she wanted to do was wipe that smug look off of Kyoko's face. Mya had never before met a girl that could elicit such a violent response from her. She would have given anything to march right up to her and set her in her place.

But underneath all that anger, Mya realized that Kyoko was a bigger competitor than she thought. Most girls by now would have blanched in fear once they had a glimpse of Mya's dark nature. But not this girl…in fact, it was almost as if she met Mya's intense personality with her own.

Ren stared into Kyoko's eyes and saw a fire that he had witnessed plenty of times before. He looked back at Mya and realized that both girls were staring each other down. He was highly confused, but nonetheless, followed Kyoko's request and nodded.

He took a step forward and placed his hand on the door knob. Turning around, he gave Kyoko one last look and murmured, "I'll be back, Mogami-san. Please wait for me."

Forcing herself to smile, Kyoko nodded and watched him shut the door. But before the door closed, she caught a glimpse of a smirk on Mya's face that made her blood boil and churn.

In an instant, all that was left was Kyoko, standing alone with her heart broken on the floor.

* * *

Once they reached farther down the corridor, Ren and Mya stopped. They weren't looking at each other at all and no sound escaped their lips. Silently, Mya stepped in front of Ren, with the envelope still in her hands. She looked into his face and realized that he wasn't paying attention her. He seemed to be deep in thought, his face screwed up in concentration.

"Ren," Mya called softly.

He raised his head and looked at her.

"Who is she to you?"

Ren remained silent. He knew exactly who she was talking about. And he didn't feel it was necessary to speak about his relationship with her to anyone else. It was between him and Kyoko only.

"Why do you care, Mya?" he asked in a quiet voice.

She laughed weakly and leaned against the wall. "You don't know how much that hurts, Ren."

Ren froze.

"I thought you knew," she continued, "how I feel about you. Of course I would care."

Mya looked at his face and felt with a satisfaction of seeing his guilt. She knew that Ren would never forget her even if he tried because no matter how many girls he met, Mya was the first person he ever cared for. She will always have a piece of his heart, whether he liked it or not.

"She's important to me, Mya," Ren said quietly, after a long pause.

That wasn't what she wanted to hear at all. Mya glared at the floor and refused to meet his gaze. "Even more than me?"

Ren shook his head. "This is what you wanted to talk about?"

Irritated, Mya raised her head and removed herself from the wall. "No, it's not."

She handed him the envelope and watched the confusion play in his face. Mya watched his eyes scan the title and the puzzlement deepened. He looked at her, not saying a word.

"It's the script for the movie."

Ren slowly shook his head. "I don't get it…"

Mya stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on his. "Please think long and hard about this, Ren."

"About what?"

She looked straight into his eyes with a determination that made Ren quite nervous. "About starring in this movie…with me."

He stopped breathing.

Mya didn't respond. She didn't break her gaze either. She would do whatever it took to convince him to come with her. Mya refused to repeat the same mistakes she made in the past.

"Mya," Ren began in a strangled voice. "Why are you springing this on me now? This doesn't make any sense. I can't—"

Suddenly, Mya placed both her hands on the sides of his face and pulled him toward her. "Ren, do you know what this will do for your career? This is a chance that actors would die for! To act in America is the biggest accomplishment anyone could ever make."

Ren knew. He knew perfectly well what it meant. Japan had plenty of jobs, but in America, the opportunities were endless. He's heard plenty of stories of how amateur actors would suddenly become fierce competition as soon as their name was placed in American spotlights. For a big actor like himself, Ren knew that this would be a chance of a lifetime. This one movie could change everything for him. Eventually, he would have to break from Japan. He would have to expand his horizons, and America was the one place everyone was trying to reach. How could he pass this up?

Immediately, Kyoko's face flooded his mind. _She_ was here though…and if he left, how could he ever see her again? It would be idiotic to think that they would keep in touch. Right now, they were nothing to each other, besides fellow actors. Would she even miss him?

Seeing the conflict in his eyes, Mya suddenly leaned towards him and placed her head onto his chest. Ren slightly jumped, but didn't push her away. "Ren," Mya began in a small voice, "does she love you?"

Ren opened his mouth and closed it again. He wanted to say yes…but he knew it was a lie. Kyoko love him? It was too much to ask for.

"I don't know," he murmured quietly.

"And she's why you can't leave? A girl you have no idea how she feels about you…she's the one who is holding you back?"

Ren shook his head, but could provide no response.

Suddenly, Mya let out a cry of frustration and raised her head. Her eyes were glistening from fresh tears that were streaming down her face.

"Don't you see me at all?"

Ren froze. Those words were just all too familiar. Weren't they the same exact words he desperately wanted to ask Kyoko?

But to his surprise, he could feel his heart tear down as he looked at Mya's pain-stricken face. He was hurting her, something he promised he would never do. And unlike with Kyoko, he knew perfectly well how Mya felt about him. She made it clear even before she left for America. Ren could still remember seeing her pained expression when he told her he couldn't leave with her. It nearly tore him apart.

"I do see you, Mya," Ren said softly. "Of course I see you."

"Then please, come with me."

Ren shook his head. "Mya, don't do this…not now."

She took a step back and pushed the envelope deeper into his hands. With a slight shake of her head, she said, "You don't have to answer me just yet. It's a big decision and you should think it over. But before you go…"

Mya suddenly stood on her tip toes and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. Ren's eyes widened in shock and he immediately took a step back.

He couldn't speak. All he could do was stare at her as she looked back at him with an expression as if she refused to lose. Immediately, Ren could feel his heart swell with shame as he remembered the person who was patiently waiting for him back at his condo.

She smiled sadly. "Did you feel that at all?"

Ren didn't move nor did he reply.

"I did," she replied quietly. "And that will never change, Ren. My feelings for you will _never_ change."

Then without another word, she walked away, praying with all her might that Ren would see that she loved him more than anyone ever could. That he belonged with her and no one else…that deep inside, he loved her too.

Eventually, the sounds of her heels slowly faded to complete silence as Ren was left in the hall, torn and pained.

* * *

Kyoko was desperately trying to keep her hands busy. She had removed the two bowls of Ramen from the table and walked into the kitchen to give them a quick rinse. In no way was she going to allow herself to stare at the clock. The wait was unbearable enough and she didn't need to know just how long they were out there, although it already felt like an eternity.

Placing the wet bowls onto a dish rack, Kyoko wiped her hands dry on the towel and looked around the kitchen. There wasn't anything else to do. Slowly, her eyes wandered to the door and she could feel her heart beat faster and faster as she thought about what they were talking about. _"Why did Mya give Ren her script? Did she need help with it or something?"_

But at the same time, Kyoko couldn't help but think how precise her timing was. Mya barged in at the perfect moment, as if she knew exactly when things were getting too intimate between them. Kyoko sighed heavily. She wanted to give him a response to what he said. Even now, his question was ringing in her ears, making her blush scarlet.

It was safe to say that Kyoko loathed Mya for interrupting them. For the first time, she wanted to talk to him about this, to clear up this confused feeling that's swirling inside of her. If there was any chance to discuss it, the timing was then.

However, Kyoko couldn't blame Mya for everything. She practically shoved Ren out the door. Isn't she the one who told him to go with Mya and talk? Frustrated, Kyoko leaned on the kitchen counter and placed her head in her hands. She had never felt so conflicted before in her life. Every part of her wanted to scream for Mya to leave. But then somewhere inside of her said she had nothing to fear…that letting Ren go with her was proving to Mya that Kyoko wasn't scared.

But of course, that wasn't true at all. Kyoko was scared out of her mind. Why did she have a feeling that right at this moment, Ren was drifting farther and farther from her?

And right now, a part of Kyoko wanted to give up. She knew that Mya had something over her that she could never achieve. The only thing Kyoko was fighting with was the fact that she couldn't bear the idea of letting Mya win. But how could that possibly be enough?

Before Kyoko could give it any more thought, she heard the door click open. Kyoko raised her head and waited with a shaky breath. She could hear his movements in the living room and a soft thud as he tossed something onto the table. Then, Kyoko heard it: his gasp of surprise of seeing the living room empty.

"Mogami-san?"The anxiety was evident in his voice.

Heart beating fast, Kyoko quickly stepped out of the kitchen and met his nervous gaze. She smiled as he relaxed his shoulders. "Right here, Tsuruga-san."

He breathed in deeply. "I thought you left."

"No, not yet."

Ren nodded subconsciously and leaned against the head of the black couch. His legs were crossed and he placed both of his hands on the couch for support, but his head was turned downwards. Immediately, Kyoko could see the stress on his face. His eyes were dark and the joyful expression from earlier was wiped clean. There wasn't a single trace of it at all.

Kyoko looked at the coffee table and saw the thick envelope. It wasn't opened yet. Not knowing what to do, she took a step forward and stood before him, not saying a word. Ren didn't even seem to notice. He stared at the carpet as if he was waiting for something to happen right at the very spot he was standing.

Ren's heart throbbed painfully against his chest. He couldn't bear to look at Kyoko. Seeing her face was tearing him apart, especially after what just happened. Ren felt like he betrayed her.

It was clear that their dinner was over. In just a few short minutes, their whole night had changed for the worse and Kyoko couldn't stop herself from regretting the choice that she had made to let Ren go with Mya. Sighing heavily, Kyoko opened her mouth and whispered softly, "I should go, Tsuruga-san."

He slowly raised his head and looked at her directly in the eyes with genuine surprise.

Forcing herself to smile, even though it was clearly strained, Kyoko laughed feebly and replied, "It's getting late anyway and I don't want to keep you up."

"_Besides, I can't stand seeing you like this,"_ she thought sadly.

Quietly, she reached over the couch and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Thank you for the dinner, Tsuruga-san, and for showing me the roof. It was really beautiful. Hopefully we can do it again sometime." Feeling her heart beat slower and slower from the pain of not knowing if they were ever going to have a chance like this again, she averted her gaze and murmured gently, "Good night."

But as soon as Kyoko turned her back on him, she suddenly felt his warm, gentle hand wrap around her wrist. Kyoko froze instantly.

She could feel him stand up behind her and tenderly pull her back to his chest until they were both touching. He laced his fingers through hers and wrapped the other arm around her waist, holding her close. "Please don't go, Mogami-san," he whispered softly in her ear.

Hearing her voice break, Kyoko asked in a shaky voice, "Why should I stay?"

He held her tighter

"Because I missed you too."

And even though her heart swelled with a new-found emotion, Kyoko couldn't stop the tear from falling down her face as she stared at the envelope on the table.


	13. Chapter 13: Fighting Back

Hello everyone! Updating once again and I hope that you all enjoy this one too! Unfortunately, the next chapter won't be up for a while. I have quite a few things going on the next two weeks and I just won't have enough time to write. However, that's just something I'm assuming will happen. You never know, I might be able to squeeze something in. Haha, anyway, just wanted to give you the heads-up and to thank you for all the support. You guys are the best!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

"So, go ahead. Tell me what happened last night," Kanae urged as Kyoko ran a brush through her thick, black hair.

They were finally having their "best-friend-anniversary" sleepover and Kyoko's room was littered with junk food wrappers, make-up products, magazines, and fluffy pillows. The lights were off and the two girls were sitting at the edge of the large window, letting the moonlight bathe the dark room.

After much persuasion, Kanae finally let Kyoko play with her hair and style it however she wanted. But once Kyoko heard Kanae's question, her movements slowed down and eventually stopped altogether.

Kanae turned around and realized that Kyoko was blushing. "What?"

She smiled lightly. "I had a really good time."

"That's all you're going to tell me?" Kanae chided, even though she had a small smile at the corner of her lips as well. She couldn't help but feel happy just because Kyoko was.

Kyoko laughed and replied, "Well, first, he ordered Ramen for us back at his apartment and while we were waiting for it to be delivered, we star-gazed for a while."

She didn't want to mention the roof because it was a secret that he and she shared. Kyoko couldn't help but get comfort from the fact that they have some sort of bond together and she wasn't ready for anyone to know about it just yet.

"Star-gazed? That sounds intimate."

Kyoko shook her head and laughed nervously. "No, no! It wasn't like that. Don't get the wrong impression, Moko-san."

Kanae raised an eyebrow. "You and Tsuruga-san were alone…under the night sky…and nothing happened?"

"Well," Kyoko began anxiously, "he did—hug me."

Kanae immediately whipped around until they were both facing each other. Even in the darkness, Kyoko could see the gleam of excitement in her eyes as she exclaimed hastily, "DETAILS!"

Kyoko ran a shaky hand through her hair and looked down at her lap. She didn't even know what to say. He hugged her and that was it. But then at the same time, Kyoko knew that that hug wasn't any normal hug. There weren't really any words to describe it.

So, Kyoko decided to go with that. "The hug was—indescribable," she murmured softly, "one of the highlights of the night."

"One of the highlights? There were _more_?"

Kanae scooted in closer which made Kyoko raise her head. She couldn't help but laugh at Kanae's eager expression. "Yes, there were more."

"Are you going to make me ask you a question every time or are you just going to tell me?" she asked in an irritated tone.

Kyoko placed her hands up in surrender and replied, "Okay, okay! You win."

Thinking back at what happened at the coffee table and what he said—or rather asked—Kyoko could feel her heart beat in overtime and her hands started to get clammy. A part of her was almost _happy_ that he said he wanted more, but another part was afraid. She didn't know what to say. Was she supposed to say that she wanted more too? Or refuse to go any farther?

"_But,"_ Kyoko thought silently, _"If I didn't want things to be more, why do I insist on wanting to get to know him better? To spend more time with him?"_

Kanae leaned back as she listened to Kyoko's story and clicked her tongue in thought. She stared out the window and pondered for a minute, before she turned back and asked, "So how did you respond in the end?"

Kyoko shook her head sadly. "I didn't because that's when…" Kyoko trailed off.

Seeing Kanae's eyes hardened, Kyoko added quickly, "But it's not like I had a good answer anyway!" She didn't want her friend to be upset. One frustrated person was enough.

Kanae still wasn't convinced.

Kyoko smiled at her friend's expression and said, "Thank you, Moko-san, for looking out for me."

"Don't make such a big deal about it," Kanae mumbled awkwardly as she averted her gaze. Kyoko giggled.

"Besides," Kanae added in annoyance, "It's not like you were able to avoid Mya anyway."

Kyoko nodded. "Still, it's nice to know that you were worried."

"I was not worried! I was just—_curious_—as to where you were."

"Whatever you say, Moko-san," Kyoko replied with a grin.

"MO! Stop doing that!"

And eventually, the room was filled with their muffled giggles as the two girls threw whatever they could reach at each other. Once Kyoko was hit in the face with a hairbrush, they burst out in laughter and slumped down on the floor, leaning back to back.

"I'm glad you're here, Moko-san," Kyoko said breathlessly, brushing her hair out of her face.

Kanae gave a slight shrug of her shoulders and replied, "Well, this isn't half bad. Although," she bent down and picked up an ice cream wrapper, "If I gain ten pounds from today, I'm never going to let you live it down."

Kyoko laughed and playfully hit her on the shoulder.

After a few minutes of complete silence and just staring out the window, Kanae suddenly broke the quietness when she said,

"Kyoko?"

"Yes, Moko-san?"

"I was wondering, what happened _after_ Mya arrived?"

Kyoko turned her head away from the window and looked at the opposite wall. "She wanted to talk to him," she replied quietly. The memory still bothered her.

Kanae looked over her shoulder and said, "About what?"

"She handed him this yellow envelope on the way in. Apparently, it was a script for the movie she's starring in. You remember right?"

Kanae nodded. "Why would Tsuruga-san need _that_?"

"I don't know."

"Mya didn't say?" Kanae asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Kyoko replied, "I'm sure she did, but she talked to him in private."

She turned around when she heard Kanae's gasp of confusion. "I told him to go talk to her," Kyoko added softly.

At first, Kanae didn't say anything. She just stared at Kyoko with wide eyes, but eventually, she shook her head in disbelief and said, "I got to hand it to you, Kyoko. You always surprise me."

"Is that a good thing?"

Kanae smiled. "Most of the time. So let me guess, you wanted to prove to her that you didn't care right?"

Kyoko nodded and asked, "Was that stupid?"

"No," Kanae replied with a shake of her head, "I probably would have done the same thing. Besides, you really didn't have anything to worry about."

"You didn't see the look on his face though," Kyoko said sadly.

"What do you mean?"

Kyoko sighed heavily. "Something happened out there. She must have said something because he looked so…_upset._ I didn't even know what to say when he came back. It was like everything had suddenly taken a turn for the worse."

Kanae bit on her lip and glared. "Did you leave then?"

She shook her head and said, "No, he wanted me to stay."

"He did?" Kanae asked incredulously. "Even after all that?"

"Yes," Kyoko murmured gently. She didn't feel that it was necessary to tell Kanae about the hug or how his lips were so close to her face. She decided to spare her friend all the mushy details.

"But still," Kyoko added after some thought. "Something was wrong and I couldn't help but think it had something to do with that envelope."

"Was it opened when he came back in?"

Kyoko shook her head.

"Why do you think Mya gave him that script, Moko-san?" she asked after a while.

Kanae shrugged her shoulders and curled up her knees. "Well, let's see. Why do you need a script in the first place?"

"To learn your lines," Kyoko replied automatically. "Do you think she needed help then?"

"She could," Kanae said slowly. "But somehow, I don't think that's it. It doesn't seem…serious enough."

Kyoko nodded in agreement. If it was only help, Ren wouldn't have looked so worried and besides, Mya could have just told him that she needed it in front of Kyoko. _"Or maybe she wanted me out of the room,"_ she thought.

Suddenly, Kanae raised her head in shock. "Wait."

Kyoko turned around. "What's wrong?"

"You just said that you need a script to learn your lines right?"

Kyoko nodded.

"Well, why would Tsuruga-san need a script for a movie he's not going to be in?"

Like a key in a door, the answer immediately clicked in place. Feeling her blood run cold, Kyoko whispered in a hoarse voice, "Unless he's starring in it himself…"

Kanae stared at Kyoko with wide eyes. "Do you think she asked him to—?"

But her question was cut off when Kyoko's phone started to vibrate. She scrambled across the floor and grabbed the pink cell off her mattress. Without bothering to look at who was calling, Kyoko flipped open the phone and said,

"Hello?"

"Good, you picked up."

She froze. _"It can't be…"_

"You must be surprised that you're getting this call, but don't worry, I won't be long. I just figured that you probably have a lot to say to me, and I have quite a few things to say to you myself. So why don't we meet up tomorrow morning in the conference room on the fourth floor and have a chat? Get things off of our chest, so to speak."

Finding her voice once again, Kyoko asked coldly, "When?"

"How about—9:00?"

Kyoko nodded and realizing that Mya wouldn't be able to see, she replied, "That's fine."

"Great, I can't wait. Oh and Kyoko? Sorry about ruining your dinner last night. I had no idea I came at such a bad time."

Kyoko smiled and Kanae, who was on the outside looking in, could clearly feel the temperature drop at least ten degrees around her friend as she said softly into the phone, "Don't worry about it. Besides, we picked up right where we left off as soon as you left. You could almost say it's like you never even came."

Pleased to hear the shocked silence on the other end, Kyoko added, "But you don't need to hear all the details, now do you? I'll see you tomorrow."

And she snapped the phone shut.

Kanae stared back into Kyoko's hard face with utmost surprise. She was always caught off guard when Kyoko let her dark side seep through and right now, it was like a tidal wave.

"Mya?" Kanae asked Kyoko even though she already knew the answer.

"She wants to meet up tomorrow morning," Kyoko replied stiffly.

"Not surprised about that."

Kyoko smiled grimly. "I guess we'll know exactly what she and Tsuruga-san talked about."

Kanae nodded.

"I'll come with you."

"What?" Kyoko exclaimed. "No, you're not!"

"Why not?"

"Because! You don't have to go out of your way to do that!"

Kanae glared and replied, "I offered to come and I'll come if I want. Besides, you shouldn't meet her alone."

Kyoko didn't look convinced.

With a sigh, Kanae leaned her head on her shoulder and Kyoko chuckled feebly.

"You're not going to listen to me, are you?" Kyoko asked.

And all Kanae did was smile in return.

* * *

Kyoko briskly walked up to the large LME building, feeling every single heartbeat as her footsteps echoed loudly in her ears. She felt incredibly nervous. Even though she was the one who agreed to come, Kyoko couldn't help but feel that it was a mistake. Did she need to know what Mya and Ren were talking about? Or better yet—did she _want_ to know?

Nonetheless, backing out now was giving Mya the satisfaction that she won one over Kyoko and that was the last thing Kyoko wanted to do. Mya wasn't going to win that easily.

After much persuasion, Kyoko was able to convince Kanae not to follow her into the conference room. It would be best for her to stay outside anyway. Not only did Kyoko not want her friend to get tangled in her own problems, but Kyoko wanted to hear what Mya had to say all by herself. This was between her and Mya; no one else should be involved.

But remembering Kanae's words, Kyoko couldn't help but get comfort from the fact that she wasn't completely alone:

"_Remember Kyoko, if anything happens, you know what to do. Don't hesitate!"_

Kyoko smiled. She knew that she didn't deserve such a good friend as Kanae and was eternally grateful that she had one anyway.

As the front doors of LME slid open, Kyoko took in a deep breath, bade good morning to her fellow co-workers along the way, and took an elevator to the fourth floor. Hearing the machine _ding_ at each floor felt like her doom was drawing nearer and nearer. Kyoko looked at the watch on her wrist. It read 8:52. _"Eight minutes,"_ she thought to herself.

Once it got to the fourth floor, the elevator opened and Kyoko quickly got off. She looked down the corridor and realized it was absolutely empty, not a soul in sight. Taking a left, Kyoko walked towards the conference room at the end of the hall. She reached the silver door and inhaled deeply. Putting her hand on the doorknob, she gave it a quick turn and the door silently swung open.

The room was almost pitch-black except for a large window at the end of the room. The blinds were slightly open which allowed a sliver of light to shine through. In the middle of the room was a large mahogany table with eight comfy chairs surrounded on each side and two chairs placed at the end.

"Wow, you're punctual, aren't you?"

Kyoko turned her head towards the sound and saw Mya sitting in the chair nearest to her at the end. It was so large that Kyoko could barely see the top of her head. As soon as the words left her mouth, Mya turned the chair around until she faced a frozen Kyoko.

"It's only—"

Mya checked her cell phone on the table.

"—8:58. You must have been excited to talk to me."

"Excited is not the word I would have chosen," Kyoko replied quietly.

Mya smiled and stood. She walked to the opposite end of the room and leaned on the edge of the table. Crossing her arms, she said, "You should close the door. It's better if we have some privacy anyway."

Feeling as if she was trapping herself in, Kyoko slowly turned around and closed the door shut. As soon as they were left alone, the atmosphere changed drastically. It was as if both girls unleashed their animosity the minute they were closed off to the rest of the world. There was no need to hide anything in here. It was all or nothing now.

"How long do you intend on playing this game, Kyoko?" Mya asked in a quiet voice as she stared back intently. "Until you lose?"

Kyoko shook her head. "For a girl who sounds so confident, why do you look so scared?"

Mya straightened up and stood in the middle of the room. She had a smile on her face, but her eyes were as cold as ice, like frozen emerald pools.

"There's nothing for me to be afraid of, Kyoko. Because in two weeks time, I'm going to be flying back to America with Ren beside me. After that, you will be nothing more but a bothersome memory."

Kyoko clenched her hands into tight fists. She could feel her knees trembling with fury and it took every bit of resolve she had not to slam her hand on the table.

"Was that your plan all along? Lure him to America with a new movie role?"

"So you figured it out?" Mya asked with a smile. "What a smart girl."

Kyoko didn't reply. All she could do was glare back, hoping with all her might that she had enough strength to continue this conversation. At this rate, Kyoko was going to crack.

Mya laughed loudly and shook her head at her stiff posture. "Kyoko, Kyoko…don't be so resentful. The best woman won and there's nothing wrong with that. I was just the bigger competitor. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"He's still here, Mya," Kyoko murmured coldly. "You won nothing."

"Not yet."

Kyoko looked down at the floor. She needed to get a better hold on her emotions. She couldn't let Mya get a rise out of her like this, but she could already feel her wall breaking. She was going to snap any second and Mya was the only target she had her eyes on.

"What makes you so sure he'll leave with you?" Kyoko forced herself to ask. It was best to keep this conversation going. Long breaks of silence were making her more and more tense.

Mya clicked her tongue as if she was chiding a little kid. Tossing her honey hair over her shoulder she replied in a haughty voice, "Why ever should he stay? It's not like there's anything for him here anyway."

Like a switch, Kyoko was going to say that he had her, but she immediately bit on her tongue. How idiotic that would have sounded. Who cares if Ren had her? Was that really any motive for him to stay here in Japan?

Mya must have realized what Kyoko was going to say by the look of her face because she suddenly chuckled and asked, "Don't tell me you were going to say yourself?" She laughed evilly. "Like that will be anywhere near enough, Kyoko."

Shaking from head to toe, Kyoko forced herself to raise her head to stare back into Mya's amused face. She refused to show any signs of weakness, especially now.

Pleased with herself, Mya suddenly walked over to Kyoko until she stood beside her, shoulder to shoulder but looking in the opposite direction. She stared out of the corner of her eye and gazed into Kyoko's hardened face.

"Soon, he's going to leave you behind and realize that I'm the only one he needs," Mya whispered softly. "You're nothing to him, Kyoko and it's best for you to learn that now. Just accept it like a good little girl and everything will turn out fine."

Mya laughed gently, shook her head in sympathy, and was just about walk out of the room until she suddenly heard—

"I won't let you."

Amused that Kyoko was fighting back, she turned her head and asked, "Let me what?"

Then, like a full on collision, Mya was slammed with such a dark, ominous force that it nearly made her crumble in surprise. And feeling as if somebody had their hands wrapped around her throat, Mya was suddenly strangled for breath. Her eyes widened in astonishment as she stared at an infuriated Kyoko standing beside her. Kyoko was no longer shaking, but the hatred emanating from her body swirled around the room like a black, sinister mist until Mya was forced to remain where she was.

In one swift motion, Kyoko grabbed Mya's wrist and pulled her face downwards until they were both staring eye to eye. Mya fearfully looked back into her vibrant, amber eyes as Kyoko murmured threateningly,

"_I will not let you take him." _


	14. Chapter 14: Is This Love?

Hello! So it turns out I was able to find some time and write the next part of the story. It's a little shorter than the others, but I felt that it was a good place to stop. Anyway, I want to thank everyone for being patient and please review! I love reading your feedback! Thanks!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

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Mya didn't say thing for a while. She continued to stare back into Kyoko's fiery eyes, hearing her own ragged breathing ringing in her ears. The silence seemed to stretch on forever until she finally found her voice again and wrenched her wrist out of Kyoko's grasp.

"Who do you think you are?" she demanded in a slightly pitchy voice. "Telling me what I can or cannot do!"

"I won't let you win, Mya," Kyoko said quietly as she refused to avert her gaze. "Not like this."

Mya shook her head in disbelief, made a few incoherent noises, and glared back with a hatred that almost matched Kyoko's. But trying to regain control of herself, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she asked, "You know what I despise most about you?"

That caught Kyoko off guard. She didn't reply, but the look on her face was more than enough to express her confusion.

Mya's eyes hardened like stone. "You can't even say you love him. You have no idea how you feel about him and yet you have the audacity to tell me that _you_ won't let him leave?"

"I don't understand," Kyoko murmured confusedly.

Laughing coldly, Mya walked over to the wooden table and placed both hands upon it. Her entire body was shaking and she felt as if she was going to explode in seconds. But knowing that Kyoko was waiting for an answer, she forced herself to turn around to face her.

"You know what's the difference between you and me?" she asked after a while, making it sound as if she was the higher being and Kyoko was nothing less, but a bug on her shoe.

Kyoko, however, refused to give her the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her and decided to remain silent.

"I love him," Mya said with an air as if it was the most dramatic thing she had ever said. "And I can say it over and over again until my voice gives out. But you, you can't do it at all. So tell me, how is that someone like you can compete with someone like me?" She ended with a sneer.

Kyoko allowed the words to sink in until she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She knew for a fact that Mya was fighting for Ren because she loved him, but Kyoko couldn't understand why she herself was fighting back so desperately. How many times had she already denied any feelings for him? How many times had she refused to see him as anything more than just her teacher? Kyoko couldn't love him. It wasn't possible for her anymore because she had already decided that she was forever broken.

But just the prospects of him being with Mya, of staying with her in America, of leaving Japan, were more than enough to rip her apart. She couldn't imagine a life where he wasn't around. Because no matter how many times she denied it, Kyoko knew that deep down she didn't only see him as her mentor. He was always much more.

"_So does that mean I am in love with him?"_ Kyoko thought silently. _"Can I still even love?"_

Not hearing Kyoko respond, Mya had a surge of pleasure of having the ability to render Kyoko speechless. She took her silence as a sign of defeat and decided to make Kyoko feel as weak as possible. Sneering, she asked, "Tell me, do you enjoy playing with Ren's emotions? Do you like keeping him around for your own sick entertainment?"

Trembling from the wave of emotions rolling over her, Kyoko shook her head and closed her eyes. "You have no idea how I feel," she replied quietly.

"Of course I do," Mya insisted with hard eyes, not realizing the tension that was quickly filling the room. "You don't love him. This is just another game for you, isn't it? You don't care about him at all."

That did it. Kyoko snapped.

She slowly raised her head and already she could feel every bit of her resolve shatter to a million pieces. Mya instinctively took a step back in fear as Kyoko began to walk forward, keeping her eyes on Mya. The aura surrounding Kyoko was both stifling and electric. It seemed to crackle in intensity with each passing second and eventually, Mya knew that she had crossed the line.

"He's more than just a game to me," Kyoko replied quietly, as she continued to step forward. "Don't assume what I feel."

Stopping in front of Mya, Kyoko allowed her civility to drown in her own blatant anger as she murmured softly, "You have no idea what he means to me."

Mya, at first, didn't understand what she had said. It took her a few seconds to register Kyoko's comment, but in less than an instant, anger flared in the pit of her stomach that forced her to slam her hand on the table angrily as she exclaimed, "You're not the only one who cares about him! STOP SAYING IT LIKE I DON'T!"

Not in the least shaken by her outburst, Kyoko smiled darkly and shook her head. "I never denied your feelings for him, Mya. I know you care. It's obvious that you do. But you see there's another difference between you and me that you failed to mention before."

"And what would that be?"

Kyoko sighed and calmly looked at Mya's irritated gaze. "You left him. Even when you loved him in the past that still wasn't enough for you to stay. You went to America, even if it meant you were leaving him behind."

Mya froze, feeling as if someone pulled her feet right from under her.

"But with me," Kyoko continued, looking down at her feet and feeling her voice naturally soften. "It's completely different. I can't leave him. And I would never want to. It's not possible for me."

"You don't—it wasn't like—I didn't want—!" Mya stuttered helplessly. She felt as if someone had knocked the breath right out of her. Kyoko's words stung like a flaming torch and Mya couldn't bounce back from them. She didn't know what to say at all.

Kyoko laughed quietly. "I'm not blaming you, Mya. I understand why you left. But don't you see? I feel for him more than you could ever know."

And as these words left her lips, Kyoko could feel her heart swell with an acceptance of her feelings. It was obvious that she felt more than just admiration for him. It had to be more, she was sure of it. Because how could that be the only feeling she had for Ren when she could clearly feel a happiness surge within her whenever he smiles at her, looks at her, holds her hand, and embraces her...

Ren held a special place in her heart that no one could ever take away. Kyoko always knew that Ren was an important person her life, but not until now, did she realize just how important. He wasn't only a fellow actor, he wasn't only a mentor, and he wasn't only a friend. He was more.

Ren was a person who could make her smile when she felt as if her world was falling apart. He helped to set her on her feet whenever she fell and couldn't find the strength or the will to stand again. He held her at times when she had never felt so lonely. And Ren was the one person Kyoko wanted to be around when all she wanted was for everyone else to disappear.

"What are you saying then?" Mya whispered hoarsely.

She knew the answer as soon as she saw Kyoko's eyes brighten with understanding. It was the same look that Kyoko gave Ren the first day Mya met her, an expression that Mya was all too familiar with. It was obvious what Kyoko meant and Mya hated it—hated it more than anything in the world.

Kyoko raised her head and stared back. The dark atmosphere had faded by now. She was no longer feeling animosity towards Mya, but rather a sense of sympathy because Kyoko knew with every fiber of her being that Mya could never win. The only thing she ever had over Kyoko was the fact that Mya knew for a fact that she loved him while Kyoko remained confused. But now, Kyoko felt as if everything was suddenly becoming clear. Her feelings were as bright as day and she couldn't believe that she never noticed them before.

Smiling gently to herself, Kyoko murmured for the first time in her life, "I love him, Mya. I love him more than anything in this world."

Mya remained silent, feeling her heart deflate from Kyoko's sincere words. She always knew that there was something between them. It was obvious the very first day they met. And no matter how much Mya didn't want to admit it, she knew that Ren had special feelings for Kyoko as well. Mya was aware that she wasn't the only girl in his life and wanted more than anything to destroy anybody who threatened her relationship with Ren.

So even though she felt as if the odds were horribly stacked against her, Mya refused to back down. She wanted Ren too much to give up now.

"Nothing's changed," she hissed harshly.

Kyoko's eyes widened slightly at Mya's abrupt bitterness.

She looked up and stared back coldly. "What, did you think I was going to give up once you found out you loved him too? I won't surrender that easily."

"I never expected you to."

Mya glared and shook her head, irritated at Kyoko's clam demeanor. "You're still in the same spot you were before Kyoko, except this time, you're more knowledgeable about your own emotions. But like I said, _nothing'_s changed. You still can't do anything."

Kyoko shook her head. "Of course I can do something, Mya," she said.

Sneering, she asked, "Like what? Ask him to stay?" She chuckled darkly. "Beg him not to go?"

Kyoko looked up. "Exactly that," she replied with a small smile.

Mya faltered.

"That's all I can do, right?" Kyoko said quietly. "That's all I can offer right now and hopefully it will be enough."

And feeling like that there was nothing left to say, Kyoko walked over to the door and was just about to place her hand on the doorknob, until suddenly, she heard Mya give a shrill laugh. Kyoko looked over her shoulder and realized that Mya's face was turned downwards, but she could see that there was a cold smile on her face.

"Do you really think that'll work?" she whispered.

Kyoko slowly turned around to face her completely. The atmosphere had changed considerably and it seemed that Kyoko was not the reason for it this time.

"I have to try," Kyoko murmured.

Mya raised her head and it was obvious that this conversation was over. Her eyes were no longer frozen, but flaming with a determination that made Kyoko step back in surprise. She smiled and laughed in a voice that made shivers go down Kyoko's spine.

"And did you think I was going to let you go just like that?"

Kyoko took a step back and replied, "What do you mean?"

Mya glared and walked forward. "I have been waiting for this day ever since I left for America. I made a mistake leaving him the first time, but I will be damned to make it again. I will NOT let someone like you take away the only person I love. You're NOT leaving, Kyoko."

And before Kyoko could utter a single sound, Mya rushed towards her and was just about to grab her wrist, until in a blink of an eye, the door slammed open.

At first, the two girls were too stunned about what happened to notice who it was. But in a flurry of flashing lights all Kyoko could see as she scrambled towards the door was a mob of photographers and reporters swarming around Mya.

"MYA! MYA! OVER HERE!"

"Give us a smile, Mya!"

"Mya, let us have an interview!"

"Come on Mya!"

"You look great Mya!"

Kyoko was standing right at the entrance of the door and was about to dash out when she hit somebody squarely in the chest. She bounced back slightly, but before she could catch herself, the person grabbed her wrist and pulled her out the door. The last thing Kyoko heard coming from the room was Mya shrieking, "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" And finally complete silence as the door closed shut.

Huffing and panting, Kyoko looked up at her savior with her hand on her knees and smiled. "How did you know?"

Kanae snorted. "I told you I should have come along. Didn't I warn you she would do something shady?"

"How did you get all those people to come?" Kyoko asked, still slightly out of breath.

"It's not hard to get a hold of the paparazzi," Kanae replied smugly. "You just have to give them the right information."

"Now," she began, dropping the teasing tone out of her voice. "From what I heard, you want to see Tsuruga-san right?"

Kyoko nodded vigorously.

"Then lucky for you, I was able to find out where he is. He's in the park downtown at a photo shoot."

"How did you—?"

"NO TIME!" Kanae exclaimed loudly and gave her friend a push down the hall. "I don't know how long those reporters are going to hold her. You need to go NOW!"

Pulling herself up, Kyoko gave Kanae a quick hug ("MO! You're wasting time!") and ran down the corridor. She completely forgot about the elevator and took the stairs three at a time. Kyoko couldn't waste a single moment.

As soon as she reached the lobby, she swiftly maneuvered herself through the crowded floor and stepped on quite a few toes, but Kyoko didn't have the chance to apologize. When she stopped for a breath, she found herself outside of the LME building with the sun shining brightly above her.

She looked down at her wristwatch. It was 9:47.

Staring straight ahead, Kyoko breathed in deeply and made a run for it. She had to see him right now. She had to tell him what she finally realized. She had to tell him exactly how she felt.

And no one, not even Mya Beaumont, was going to stop her. Not this time…


	15. Chapter 15: Letting Go

Hi there! Thank you so much for being patient with me about updating. I know I kept you all waiting and it really means a lot that you guys haven't abandoned the story. So here is part 15 and I hope you all enjoy it. I'll be updating sooner this time around so keep your eyes peeled for the next one! Please read and review.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

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Kyoko ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Across busy streets, down dark alley ways, through moving cars, she didn't waste a single second. She had no idea if Mya was able to escape from the paparazzi and if she was catching up to her at all, but Kyoko knew it was better to expect the worst than to get her hopes up. She couldn't risk the chance.

And after what seemed like hours of frantic searching, she finally spotted tall green trees lined down the street and realized that she had reached the park. Feeling her heart beat in overtime, Kyoko quickly dashed through the park and kept her eyes scanned for what seemed to look like a photo shoot.

It took her a few minutes to reach the center of the park, but she was able to find the place pretty quickly. The whole set was placed near the large, spurting water fountain with a crew of workers scattered everywhere. It seemed that the photo shoot was on hold since everyone was standing around and talking casually with one another.

Grateful that she came at the right time, Kyoko ran up to the first two people she saw and hastily asked in a breathless voice, "Is Tsuruga-san here?"

The man she spoke to and his friend turned around. Surprised by the look of urgency on her face, he stammered, "I think he's taking a break right now. Who are you?"

"Where is he?" Kyoko panted as she bent over and placed both her hands on her knees. The stitch in her side was throbbing painfully and every intake of breath was making it worse.

"Near—the lake," the other man replied as he pointed to the left of the park with a raised eyebrow. "But why do you want to—?"

Unfortunately, Kyoko had already ran towards the direction he pointed at before he could finish his inquiry. She would have thanked him, but Kyoko didn't have the strength—or the time—to speak. Running through the trees, she quickly realized that she was off the paved path that twisted through the park. It was eerily quiet except for a couple of chirping birds and a few rays of sunlight that shone through the little slits in the trees above.

Kyoko couldn't help but feel slightly reminiscent as she ran through the forest, thinking that she might actually meet a fairy prince at the very end. It was all too familiar. But when she could hear the soft gurgling water, every thought escaped her mind except for seeing the one person who was waiting down by the lake.

As soon as she reached the bank, Kyoko halted to a complete stop and scanned up and down the shore. At first, she thought he must have left, but suddenly, her heart stopped all together.

He was there.

Standing on a large, flat stone near the shore of the lake, Ren was staring across the water with his arms hanging by his sides. He seemed to be enjoying the peace and quiet of the scenery since he didn't even seem to notice Kyoko's arrival at all

To Kyoko's surprise, he was wearing a tuxedo once again, except this time it was all white, just like she imagined him to look before. Ren practically gleamed in the sunlight and it was almost difficult to look at him directly. Kyoko couldn't help but admire his looks and realize just how perfect he really was when it came to physical appearance, which of course only increased the already rapid beating of her heart.

Quickly feeling the heat rush to her cheeks, she noiselessly took a few steps toward him and called softly, "Tsuruga-san?"

With a slight jump, he turned around and his eyes widened significantly when he realized who he was staring at.

Ren couldn't believe it.

"Mogami-san?" he asked in an incredulous tone. "How did you—? What are you—? When did you—?"

He continued to ask incomplete questions until he saw Kyoko's eyes soften and heard her murmur gently, "I just wanted to see you."

Feeling as if someone lit his heart on fire, Ren smiled and unleashed his full power on a non-suspecting Kyoko who practically swooned from looking at his breathtaking facial expression. Kyoko could never get used to seeing him like that.

Slowly, Ren took a step forward and reached out a hand, "Would you like to join me?"

"On the rock?" Kyoko asked with surprise.

Ren chuckled. "It can hold the both of us. Besides, the view is better from here."

Kyoko gave a slight shake of her head of disbelief and smiled. She walked towards him and gently placed her hand in his, feeling a warmth spread throughout her body as soon as their skins touched. Feeling him squeeze her hand, she allowed him to pull herself towards him until they were both standing together, face to face.

Automatically, Kyoko placed both her hands on his broad chest, but refrained from leaning in too close. The proximity of their bodies was already making her heart throb mercilessly. But to her surprise, she suddenly felt one of his arms wrap around her waist and held her there, not pulling her any closer.

Seeing the quiet astonishment flash in her eyes, he said, "I wouldn't want you to fall."

Kyoko nodded, unable to breathe properly by now.

Ren smiled. "So how did you find me?"

"Um," Kyoko began nervously. She really didn't want him to know what happened just this morning with Mya. It wasn't something she wanted to drag him into so Kyoko decided to say, "I overheard someone mentioning it."

Ren chuckled and asked, "And you came all the way over here just to see me?"

She blushed profusely.

Not hearing a response, Ren realized he might have made the situation more awkward than it should be. Wanting to ease the tension, he brought his other hand to her cheek and brushed it gently with his thumb. "I'm glad you're here, Mogami-san."

"Me too," she whispered softly.

At first, no other words were exchanged. The two just turned their heads toward the water and peacefully stared across the lake, watching it twinkle and sparkle in the sunlight. The place was absolutely mesmerizing.

But even though Kyoko enjoyed the silence, she knew that she had to hurry. She couldn't miss an opportunity like this. They were finally completely alone and it was the best time for any confession to be made. However, as soon as Kyoko had set her mind on telling him, she suddenly felt his arm around her waist squeeze a little bit tighter.

She curiously turned her head to look upwards at him and realized that he looked stressed, the same expression he had on the day of their dinner. Kyoko stood speechless, watching the worry flicker in his eyes that were still staring across the lake.

But with some difficulty, Kyoko was able to murmur, "Tsuruga-san?"

He looked down at her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

At first, Ren remained silent. He continued to stare into her puzzled, amber eyes and could easily feel a happiness surge within him as he remembered exactly who he was holding. If anyone had told him that his relationship with Kyoko would become like this in the future, he would have never believed it. Ren would have never thought in a million years that they would be so comfortable in each other's presence.

But even though Ren was feeling as if he was on top of the world, the conversation he had with Mya was badgering his mind like an incessant alarm. He couldn't shake off the offer she gave him. It was practically haunting him. He gave America quite a lot of thought and was nowhere closer to a decision than he was when he first heard it from Mya.

Breathing in deeply, Ren closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. "Can I ask you a question, Mogami-san?"

Slightly taken aback by his question and how close his face was to hers, Kyoko said shakily, "Of course, Tsuruga-san. You can ask me anything."

He opened his eyes and gave her a small smile that didn't seem to reach his eyes. At first, he didn't say anything except continue to look at her, but shaking his head slightly, he asked, "What's your dream, Mogami-san?"

"My dream?"

Ren nodded.

Kyoko blinked a few times in confusion and finally managed to reply, "To become a top actress. And to be acknowledged for it."

"And how far would you go to accomplish that dream?"

Staring with puzzled eyes and wondering where he was going with this, Kyoko replied simply "I would do anything."

Ren looked away. "Even if it means leaving?"

Kyoko froze.

She couldn't believe what she heard. Like a strike to the chest, Kyoko felt as if her lungs were collapsing on her while her heart continued to beat painfully. She didn't know what to do. It was just too much of a coincidence.

She slowly averted her gaze. The stifling silence seemed to stretch on for a long time until suddenly she forced herself to say the words she had been dreading for so long. "Do you want to go to America, Tsuruga-san?" Kyoko asked quietly.

Ren stopped. He leaned back slightly and took a good look at her face. Her head was turned downwards and her eyes seemed to become hollow. Kyoko refused to meet his gaze as her hands on his chest fell limply to her sides.

"Where did you hear that?" Ren asked almost monotonously. His emotions were all over the place. He couldn't get a grip on himself.

Kyoko shook her head. "Please answer me," she murmured quietly.

Ren stared back into her hurt face and could feel his heart tear itself to pieces. But just when he was about to open his mouth to answer, Kyoko suddenly laughed feebly.

"America is a wonderful place. It would be a chance of a lifetime."

He was shocked into silence.

"I understand why you would want to go," she continued. "Anybody would want to go."

Ren shook his head and brought his hand under her chin. He pulled her face towards him and asked, "Why are you saying this? Did Mya say something to you?"

Kyoko smiled but it was clear that something was off because deep inside, she was dying. Deep inside, she could feel everything come to a complete halt and deep inside she knew what she had to do, no matter how much she didn't want to.

Before, Kyoko would have done anything to keep Ren in her life. She would have fought whatever or whoever that stood in her way because Ren was just too important for Kyoko to let go so easily.

Yet, she was forgetting one important person. She was forgetting what _he_ wanted. It didn't matter how much Kyoko wanted Ren. It didn't matter how much she wanted him to remain in Japan. It didn't even matter how much she loved him because Kyoko knew that if she truly cared about him, she would have wanted him to do whatever it took to make him happy. And this time, America was where he wanted to be. And who was Kyoko to deny him his dream?

If he was in her place, Ren would have told her to do whatever it took to accomplish her dream. He would have supported her in every decision that she made and he would have stood beside her no matter what it took.

And this time, Kyoko knew she had to do the same because his happiness was the most important thing to her—even more than her own. This wasn't about her and this wasn't about Mya. This was only about Ren.

Forcing the words out of her mouth, Kyoko murmured with difficulty, "It's your chance to achieve your dream, Tsuruga-san. And nothing is more important than that."

"Nothing?" he asked.

Kyoko laughed in a hollow voice and nodded. "I would do anything for my dream and you should do the same. Aren't you the one that taught me to that?"

Ren turned his head away and looked across the lake. Kyoko was hurting him like he had ever felt in his life. He thought he would be used to it by now. She always seemed to have an uncanny ability to say things that made him realize more and more that they were never meant to be. But right now, he felt more helpless than ever before.

Yet, there was a part of him that understood why she said what she did. Because according to Kyoko, Ren was only her mentor. She wouldn't care if he left. Why should she?

But another part of him had a hope that Kyoko did want him here, that she really did care about him. After all, she was here wasn't she? So feeling his heart throb mercilessly at the prospect of his next few words, Ren said quietly, "If I leave Mogami-san," he stared directly into her empty eyes. "There may be a chance I won't come back."

The chances were grim. Ren knew this. He wanted her to take back her words. He wanted her to say that she didn't mean it, that she wanted him to stay with her. It was a low-ball move, but he had to try.

Kyoko allowed the words to sink in. She felt strangled for words. But at the same time, she knew what he was doing. She had to mean her what she said because the only way he would go is if she proved that she would truly be okay without him. And wanting more than anything to disappear she replied, "I know."

Ren felt his body turn cold. He was completely empty. He didn't know what to do.

Kyoko stared into his dark eyes and knew that she hurt him. It was the worst feeling in her life. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs that she loved him, that she didn't mean a word of it. But all of this pain was for him, for him to have the opportunity to chase after a dream he had all his life. And if Kyoko had to live with the fact that it was all her fault he couldn't achieve his goal, she would never be able to stand it.

Suddenly, in one swift movement, she felt both of his arms wrap around her body and pull her to his chest. Her face was laid over his heart and she could hear how hard it was beating, how nervous he felt. Before she could utter a single sound, he stopped her. He looked down into her amber eyes and whispered,

"Do you want me to go?"

Kyoko didn't look away. She gazed back into his face and could see the pain and anticipation flicker in his eyes. But what made it worse was when she knew what she was going to say next.

"Yes," Kyoko replied with trembling knees. "I do."

And for the first time in his life, Ren backed away from Kyoko. He released his embrace and dropped his arms to his sides, not daring to look at her face. Even though they were still standing close to each other, the both of them have never felt so far apart. It was almost as if they were total strangers.

Kyoko didn't say another word. She slowly turned her back on him and stepped off the rock onto the bank. Feeling her eyes water, Kyoko was just about to leave until his voice suddenly beckoned her back.

"Mogami-san?"

"Yes?"

"Is this good-bye?"

Tears streamed down her face. Her breaths violently ripped through her chest as she closed her eyes and murmured in a breaking voice, "Yes."

And feeling like her life had fallen to pieces, Kyoko ran for it. She ran as far as her legs could carry her as warm tears fell down her face. She could hear the ragged noises coming from her chest and realized that she was sobbing. She could barely see anything except the look of pain on the face of the only man she loved hovering above her eyes.

Before, Kyoko was heartbroken—unable to love. But now, the pain was so crippling that she knew it wasn't just heartbreak. Because she felt as if her heart was gone forever…as if someone had ripped it out...as if it was somehow abandoned down by the lake.


	16. Chapter 16: The Time to Choose

Hi everyone! So, once again, I'm updating sooner than I thought. I was really pleased with how everyone responded to my latest chapter and I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer than you should. Thank you again for all the great feedback. I can never tell you how much I appreciate it. I hope you all enjoy part 16 and please review! Thanks so much!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

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_He stared at her hair blowing gently in the wind with her back turned towards him. His hands were clenched into tight fists at his side and he could feel his heart beat rapidly in his chest. He wanted to call out to her so that she would turn around and look at him. He didn't want her to go._

_But as if she heard his thoughts, she gracefully turned her head and met his eyes, staring intently back. He could see the tears starting to form in her green eyes and in an instant, his heart began to break. She walked towards him and wrapped her slender arms around his neck. He tenderly returned the embrace. _

"_I don't want to leave you," she whispered in his ear._

_He held her tighter. "Then don't."_

"_Ren, you know I have to go. It's America. I can't turn this down."_

"_Even for us?" he asked quietly._

_She let out a sob. "Don't say that. Don't make it sound like this is goodbye."_

_Ren shook his head and released his arms. She stared back in shock and immediately felt a sadness wash over her. She hastily took a step forward and kissed him on the lips._

"_Come with me."_

"_I can't," he said with a slight break in his voice. _

_She clung onto him and laid her head on his chest. Feeling as if time was passing by too quickly, she asked, "Even for us?"_

_Ren looked down into her emerald eyes and brushed his fingertips against her delicate cheek. He shook his head and replied, "I can't uproot my life."_

_Suddenly, her manager called her name and beckoned her to board the plane. She looked at him with fresh tears falling down her face and with one last kiss, she stepped away from him. Ren watched her walk away and board the plane, feeling as if his whole body had gone numb. He didn't even have the voice to say good-bye to her. And with one last look at his pain-strickened face, she stepped through the door._

_The plane drove down the runway until it finally had enough speed to soar upward. Ren watched the silver bird fly higher and higher until it disappeared into the grey clouds. _

_He looked up at the sky for one last time as he murmured quietly to the roaring wind, "Good-bye Mya…"_

Ren woke with a start. He stared at the ceiling, feeling the beads of sweat on his forehead. He could easily recall the dream—or rather the memory—while he lied there in the dark, waiting for his heartbeat to slow. He turned towards the large window and stared at the glistening moon. He tried to decipher the meaning of his dream, to understand why after all these years it came back to him so vividly. Was this a way of his subconscious telling him what to do?

Ren sat up, placing his head into his hands. He listened to his ragged breathing, the beating of his empty heart, and the deafening silence of his bedroom. He unconsciously gazed up at a red, bright star, shining next to the round moon, and remembered holding a young girl on top of his roof…feeling her warmth against his skin… hearing the tinkling sound of her voice.

Suddenly, a wispy grey cloud drifted across the night sky and draped itself over the star, obscuring it from his vision and leaving Ren feeling more alone than ever.

* * *

"Mya, does this mean you'll be leaving Japan sooner than expected?"

She smiled sadly and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Yes, I am," she replied as she nodded her head. "Unfortunately, the filming for my new movie has already started and I must get back to take up my role as the leading lady."

The reporter raised both of his eyebrows in surprise. "Wait, just a minute. Does that mean you have found a co-actor to act alongside?"

Mya grinned widely and teasingly wagged a finger in his face. "That's strictly confidential, Luca. But because it's you, I'll only say this: people will be quite pleased with who we got."

He chuckled heartily and exclaimed, "Well, well, well! I guess we will have to watch the movie to find out exactly who the lucky man is!"

"That you will," she replied with a giggle.

"Then you heard it here, folks. Mya Beaumont will be starring in her new movie _Smoke and Mirrors_ coming out this—"

But the last few words of the reporter were cut off. Yashiro had quickly shut off the television in his apartment and leaned back against his white, plushy couch as he dropped the remote onto the coffee table. He took off his glasses and laid them on the seat beside him, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He could feel a raging headache coming on.

Yashiro opened one eye and looked at the watch on his wrist. It was getting late—10:52 to be exact—and he was nowhere close to feeling the least bit tired, even though he was up since six in the morning. For the last few nights, he hadn't been getting much sleep at all. Aside from his typical managerial duties that seemed to get more hectic by the day, Yashiro was feeling extremely worried for his friend, who had completely shut himself off from the world.

He tried to talk to Ren multiple times in the last three days, but he would have better luck interrogating a wall. Ren's eyes were always empty and every time he looked at Yashiro, it was almost as if he didn't see him at all. Yashiro wasn't only concerned, but quite agitated that Ren couldn't confide in him. It was obvious that something was wrong, not only because of his actions, but also the fact that Kyoko hadn't been seen around LME either.

And every time Yashiro mentioned her name, Ren would freeze up and briskly walk away. Yashiro tried to contact Kyoko to ask her if she knew anything, but her phone was always off or she never answered. It was absolutely useless.

Yashiro let out a frustrated sigh. He was running out of options. The directors had already taken notice of Ren's change in personality and they were asking Yashiro what was going on. And as his manager, Yashiro felt incredibly stupid that he had to tell those people that he hadn't a clue what was wrong with the person he was supposed to be in charge of.

"They must think I'm completely incompetent," Yashiro murmured darkly to himself.

But surprisingly enough, he didn't care much about those people or what they thought. In fact, being a manager was the last thing on his mind. He was more concerned about being a proper friend to Ren. Yashiro wanted to help, wanted to do something, but he couldn't figure out what. He let out another sigh, placed his glasses back onto his nose, and lifted himself off the couch.

Yashiro had never resorted to alcohol before, but desperate times called for desperate measures. But as soon as he reached the threshold of his kitchen, the doorbell rang. Yashiro looked at the door curiously, thinking that he must be hearing things.

Suddenly, someone was loudly pounding on the door and in his haste he quickly ran towards it, unhooked the latch, and swung it open. Yashiro found himself staring into the face of a fuming young lady with her eyes practically in slits. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.

"I know I have no right to bother you at this hour, but to tell you the truth I could care less. All I care about right now is the well-being of my friend who has completely distanced herself from me and all the people around her. Now, I have tried everything to get her to talk, but she hasn't said a single word nor do I think she ever will. But even without her help, I have deduced that it has something to do with Tsuruga-san. And since you are his manager, I assume you know what is going on."

She looked into his eyes, waiting for a response. Yashiro was stunned into silence.

"I'm guessing your inability to answer me is your way of saying that you have no idea either."

Yashiro swallowed. He had never before had a girl speak to him this way. She was so forward and forceful that it made him quite nervous. But he gave a quick shake of his head and calmly said in a slightly shaky voice, "Kotonami-san, why don't you come in? It's better to talk in private than in the hallway."

She crossed her arms. "I have no intention of wasting time here."

Yashiro raised his eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Yashiro-san," she began in a stern voice, ignoring his comment. "I am going to ask you two questions and I want you to answer me truthfully."

He blinked a few times in confusion, but nodded all the same. "Alright."

Flipping her dark hair over her shoulder in a slightly irritated way, she asked, "First off, do you have any intention of helping me figure out what's going on with Kyoko?"

"Of course—"

Kanae put up a hand and stopped him immediately. Yashiro fell silent.

"And secondly," her voice softened a bit, but her eyes seemed to turn a tad shade darker. "Does he even love her?"

Yashiro didn't need a hint as to who she was talking about. It was quite obvious already. He silently opened the door wider and gestured his hand inside his apartment.

"Kotonami-san, please come in for a drink."

Kanae blinked in quiet astonishment.

"—because the answer to both of those questions is yes."

* * *

"President Lory sir, Director Ogata wishes to speak with you."

The President turned around to find his assistant peeking from the door. He gave his assistant a curt nod and replied, "Can you please tell him that the person he wishes to talk about will be coming in to see me in a few minutes? And that I will talk to him afterwards?"

The assistant nodded and silently closed the door shut as the President returned his attention back to the paper in his hand. He was sitting in his large, golden throne with his legs crossed and an empty glass of whiskey in his other hand. Feeling slightly anxious, the President decided to stand up and walk around a little bit, placing the paper he was holding and the glass onto the wooden table. President Lory had been waiting for him for about ten minutes now and it was very unlike him to be late.

But at that instant, a quiet knock was heard at the door. At first, President Lory thought it was his assistant again, but a familiar face stepped through. President Lory smiled.

"Nice of you to come."

Ren didn't respond, except give his boss a polite nod. He closed the door behind him and routinely took his seat across from the large chair that President Lory had already reached and sat in. Looking into his dark eyes, Ren knew that this wasn't a normal meeting. So he decided to get on with it quickly.

"I know what you're going to ask me. And no, I haven't decided yet."

President Lory chuckled. "You never beat around the bush, do you, Ren?"

He didn't reply except avert his gaze.

That didn't deter the President. He continued with, "But you know, I would never think that you would be the kind of person who would let personal troubles get in the way of his career."

Ren looked back with surprise. Anger flashed in his eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. "I don't know what you mean."

"Director Ogata is concerned about you. He says you look distracted."

"I see," Ren replied quietly with hard eyes as he thought about how many people were talking about him behind his back. "Then I'll explain myself to him today and apologize for my behavior."

The President glared. It seemed that Ren was going to make this difficult. Letting his calm demeanor drop, he said quietly, "Ren, you know that's not what I meant."

"Sir, what do you want me to say?"

"I want to know what's going through your mind," he replied simply.

Ren stood up and walked towards the large window. He looked down at the busy streets and placed his forehead against the cool glass, closing his tired eyes. "I'm confused," he said with difficulty.

"About staying in Japan?"

Ren sighed heavily. "No, about staying with her."

The President stared at Ren's back, speechless. It was the first time he had ever spoken about his feelings for Kyoko out loud. If it was any other time, the President would have been extremely pleased that he had finally admitted it. But now, all he could feel was sympathy for his young pupil.

"What did she say about America?"

Ren clenched his fists together. He wasn't the least surprised that President Lory knew what had happened. He had an uncanny ability to predict certain things when it came to situations like these and he always turned out right. Besides, Ren could never hide anything from him. even if he tried.

"She told me to go," he murmured with a twinge of sadness in his voice.

"And you don't want to?"

"That's not what I said," he replied as he turned around to face his boss.

"So you do?"

Ren let out a frustrated sigh. "It's not as simple as that."

President Lory chuckled and shook his head. "Of course it is, Ren," he began as he stood up to walk towards him. "You're just making it difficult."

"It's not a simple matter of going and not going."

"Then what do you suppose is the answer?" he asked.

Ren was feeling slightly resentful towards President Lory by now. It was almost as if he was treating him like a little child who was being scrutinized by his teacher. This was idiotic. The whole discussion was going in circles and he wasn't helping him at all come to a decision.

The President must have noticed the tension in Ren's face because he suddenly chuckled and shook his head. "If you want to leave, by all means go."

Ren smiled darkly. "Do you mean your office or to America?"

"Both."

Ren shook his head and sat back down in his seat. He couldn't leave even if he wanted to. The President called him here for a reason and he would reach his point eventually. Ren just had to be patient.

Seeing that Ren wasn't going to take the bait, President Lory stood next to him and looked down at his drooping head. "Have you seen her ever since you both last talked?"

"No."

"I see," he said as he took his seat back in his large chair. "And have you tried to see her?"

Ren didn't reply.

Realizing that Ren wasn't going to say much about her, the President decided to switch tactics. Pouring himself and Ren two glasses of whiskey, he said casually, "I take it that you saw Mya last night on an exclusive interview with JTUV."

Ren nodded, receiving the drink from his boss and taking a small sip.

"She's leaving for America tomorrow."

"I know," he said stiffly.

"And she has pretty much implied you're going with her…"

Ren didn't answer except place his glass back onto the table with a soft thud.

"I take it that your silence means it's true."

He looked up at the President's calculating gaze. He folded his hands tightly in his lap and gave a quick shake of his head. "I haven't given her a proper response yet."

"What's holding you back, Ren? Didn't she already tell you to go? Isn't that more than enough reason to get on that plane now?" the President asked, no longer asking about Mya.

Ren gritted his teeth together. He asked that question to himself a million times a day. He had no idea why he couldn't get himself to decide on America. Any other fool would have bought that ticket and got on the plane already. The love of his life just basically told him to get out of _her_ life. That should be his cue to leave.

But he couldn't. The prospect of not seeing her face every day was holding him back. It didn't matter that she didn't love him. It didn't matter that she didn't want him here, because Ren had always loved her even when she was completely oblivious to the fact that he existed. He wanted to stay for her.

Yet, doesn't it change things that she told him she doesn't want him here? Shouldn't he respect her decision and abide by it? And furthermore, he had another girl who did want him, who did love him and even more so, she was somebody he loved before in the past. Doesn't that mean he should go to America with her instead and give up on the hopeless cause here in Japan? How could he chase after someone who didn't love him at all?

Ren could feel his head spin from all of his doubts. Every time he thought he reached a conclusion, it was as if his subconscious wanted him to remain confused by spinning up more impossible questions for him to try to find an answer to. He didn't know what to do anymore.

"I know I should go," he admitted in a soft voice. "I know that that's the rational conclusion. But I can't get myself to do it."

"Why not?"

Ren shook his head. "You know why."

"I assure you that I don't."

Ren raised his head to meet the President's patient gaze. "Because I love her," he replied quietly.

"Then don't go."

"But why stay for someone who doesn't want me here?" Ren retorted back.

President Lory chuckled and leaned forward as he placed his own glass down. "Do you realize what you're doing?"

Ren didn't respond, but stared back confusedly.

"You're not letting yourself stick with a choice. You're afraid of making the wrong one. So you think it's best not to make one at all."

The President shook his head and continued, "But you and I both know that that isn't possible, Ren. You can't avoid it any longer. Mya is leaving tomorrow and you need to decide if she is going to go with you or without you."

Suddenly, President Lory reached for the white piece of paper on the table and handed it to him. Ren read the first few words and could feel his body freeze up.

"I'm sure you realized that this is the consent form to let you transfer. As you can see, my signature is at the bottom. I won't hold you back, Ren."

He continued to stare at the contract. Ren didn't know what to say. He could feel his fingers tremble and he placed the paper onto his lap to cease the shaking. Ren looked up at the President and asked, "Are you telling me to go?"

The President shook his head. "I didn't say that, nor will you ever hear me say it. This is my way of showing you that this decision is yours to make. Nothing is standing in your way except yourself."

All Ren could do was nod.

"I should also mention," President Lory added with a stern eyes, "The fact that Mya is waiting for you outside."

Ren's head sprang up in surprise. He was choked for words.

"It's time for you to make a choice, Ren. Either you stay or you leave. Like I said before, you never beat around the bush, do you?"

Ren shook his head in disbelief. "Shouldn't I make this choice on my own time?"

"By all means do. It's your choice to let Mya wait outside or not. I won't rush you."

Feeling his heart beat rapidly, Ren turned towards the double oak doors and stared. It was almost as if he could see Mya pacing back and forth across the carpet, anxiously looking at the door for his exit. Ren sighed.

"I don't know what to do, sir."

"Of course you do, Ren. You're just having a hard time admitting it," he said simply.

"How do you know I'll make the right choice?"

The President shook his head. "There isn't a right or wrong here. It's just a decision, and how it affects you in the future doesn't necessarily mean it's good or bad for you."

Ren didn't move. He couldn't get himself to stand or do anything at all. It was as if everything came to a screeching halt.

"Ren," President Lory said softly, breaking his trance. "What is it that you want?"

Ren turned his face downwards and clenched his hands into tight fists on his lap, not able to give an answer since he even himself didn't know.

"Where is it that you want to be?" the President continued as he stared at his frozen face.

Ren raised his head.

President Lory met his dark gaze with an intensity of his own. "And finally, who is it that you love?"

And like a bolt of lightning, a forceful feeling burned deep inside Ren's empty heart as soon as he heard those words. He swiftly turned his attention back towards the door and felt an overwhelming sense of understanding flood his entire body. The President was right. Ren had known from the start what he wanted to do. It was always clear to him, but he was too afraid to admit it. He was too afraid of choosing the wrong person. But how could he when his feelings were so clear?

She was always the one for him, even in the past. Sure, she hurt him before and sure, she broke his heart. But his feelings had always been there for her. He loved everything about her and this time around, he wasn't going to give her up. Ren refused to back down, not like last time. He won't be making the same mistake twice.

Ren looked back at the paper in his lap and gripped it in his hands. Standing up, he gave one last nod to the President and walked towards the door. But before he opened it, he turned around and asked, "Do you care where I go?"

President Lory smiled. "Not as long as you're satisfied with what you chose."

Ren nodded. "Good-bye sir."

"Good-bye Ren."

And without another word, he opened the door to meet Mya.


	17. Chapter 17: An End to it All

Hello there! Here is my latest update to the story. This chapter is the LONGEST chapter in the entire story so you guys will have a lot to read! Hehe, but hopefully you'll enjoy doing so. Thanks again for all the wonderful feedback and responses. They are greatly appreciated. You guys are the greatest! Please Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Kyoko blankly stared out of the window, watching the pouring rain splatter on the cool glass. For the last few days, there hadn't been a flicker of emotion across her cold, empty face. It almost seemed as if the life was sucked right out of her, leaving nothing left but a hollow shell. To say that others were worried was an understatement. Her once bubbly personality and charming smile had been absent for so long that people have actually considered that Kyoko was going through some spur-of-the-moment depression.

Depression, however, was not the word Kanae would have chosen. It was clear that her friend was more than just sad. She was _devastated_. Any normal person would have cried and sobbed until it was no longer possible, but Kyoko wasn't like everyone else. She remained silent and still, eating here and there, and responding when spoken to, but it was like she had lost the will to live. Everything she did was mechanical and it was almost accurate to say that Kanae expected to hear gears grinding whenever she moved.

Kyoko wasn't like herself at all. Most days she would just sit in her bedroom and stare out the window while in the mornings, she would go to work with no expression on her face at all except for the same empty look. Oddly enough however, whenever she was placed in the front of the camera, it was almost as if a light had switched on inside of her and her whole body awoke with some new found vigor. She acted as she always did and possibly even better than before. In fact, it seemed that Kyoko was trying so hard to succeed that most people would say she was improving as an actress.

But Kanae knew better. She knew that Kyoko was just trying to drown herself in her work. Never once did she miss a day, even when it seemed impossible for her to move. Kyoko refused to stay home no matter how horrible she felt because when left with nothing to do, she knew that her mind would wander. She absolutely dreaded the nights. During times when sleep evaded her, Kyoko could suddenly feel a pain hit her like a non-stopping tidal wave as she tried her best to smother her violent sobbing. She never cried in front of anyone. She didn't want to trouble them anymore than they were already, especially Kanae.

Kyoko knew that her friend was worried—that she was concerned about what was going on with her—but that wasn't enough for Kyoko to snap herself out of it. She felt so alone these days that nobody, not even her best friend, could save her from what looked like eternal agony. Kyoko didn't know what to do anymore. She tried to forget him, to push every thought and memory of him out of her mind. She even tried to forget his name. But with every attempt, his face came back more vivid than ever and she could feel a new wound rip itself open inside her body. Kyoko couldn't save herself no matter how hard she tried.

Kanae stood by the door frame, watching her gaze out the window with her slender arms wrapped around her curled knees. Silently, she walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Kyoko didn't even flinch.

"Kyoko?"

She blinked in response.

"Is it okay if I leave for a minute?" Kanae asked gently. This was a tone that she would have never chosen to speak to anyone with, but she couldn't find the will to speak any louder. The thick silence inside the room didn't allow it.

Kyoko turned her head slightly and stared at Kanae's worried face with blank eyes. A question burned inside her throat, but she didn't have the voice to ask it. Kanae saw the expression on her face and immediately knew what she wanted.

"I won't be long," Kanae replied with a strained smile. "I just need to go see someone. But there is one thing I have to ask you before I go."

Kyoko gave a small nod.

Kanae leaned down and brought her face directly in front of hers. "I don't want you to leave the house. Just stay here for now. Don't go outside."

Kyoko slowly turned her head back to the window. Frequently, she had been going out on late night walks, hoping that the cool air would clear her head, but usually all she wanted was to avoid having nothing to do. On some days, Kyoko wouldn't come home until at least five in the morning, silently walking around town in search of something that she knew she would never find.

"Kyoko," Kanae said in a firm voice. "Can you please do this for me? Just this once?"

She didn't reply. All she did was place her chin onto her knees and stare blankly at the opposite wall.

Kanae bit on her lower lip. She didn't know if she could trust Kyoko right now. But knowing that she had to go see Yashiro before it got too dark, Kanae finally stood up. Usually an independent person, Kanae was forced to abandon her old ways and ask Yashiro for help who unfortunately didn't know any more information as to the problem than she did.

But even though they were both lost as to what had happened, Yashiro and Kanae took some comfort in the fact that they shared a common problem. They even spent some time together to talk about ideas of how to help their friends, but in the end decided that they couldn't do anything except hope that this will all pass over soon. Tonight, however, Kanae wanted to go and see him to tell him how Kyoko was holding up since he was just as worried about her as she was. It was the least she could do after all that he had done for her, by acting as someone she could confide in.

With one last look at her friend, Kanae slowly made her way down the wooden stairs and out the door, shutting Kyoko inside.

Time seemed to crawl by as Kyoko turned her attention back to the rain. Everything outside looked distorted, like a painting that somehow had its colors washed away. Kyoko sat up straighter and stretched out her feet.

And just like every other time when she was left alone, she could feel the pain from before rip its way through her body and in no time, Kyoko found herself crying in her arms. Desperate for some sort of release, she stood up and ran down the creaky stairs. She knew that Kanae had asked her to stay put, but Kyoko couldn't stand it much longer. She had to get out of her room that seemed to be more of a cage than a sanctuary.

When she finally threw the front door open, Kyoko gasped for air. Immediately, she could hear the rain fall upon the roof and smell the fresh, wet pavement. Quickly closing the door behind her, she began to walk forward. She stopped right underneath the hangover, leaning her head on the cold pole that stood beside her. Kyoko closed her eyes for a second and forced her mind to focus on the sound of the rain and nothing else. She didn't want to think anymore. In fact, she didn't even want to feel anymore.

All she wanted to do was to listen…listen to the pouring water…to the roaring wheels on the road…to the soft voices down the street… to the cool wind rustling the trees…to the quiet sound of approaching footsteps on the cold, wet floor…

Kyoko's eyes immediately sprang open. The first thought that ran through her mind was that Kanae had returned, that she must have forgotten something, but when she looked ahead of her, she saw a tall, dark silhouette walking towards her that looked nothing like her friend. Fear bubbled inside the pit of her stomach and she had every intention to run back into the house, but it was as if her legs had refused to move. She stood rooted to the spot, watching the figure step closer and closer to her.

The sound of shoes against the floor pounded loudly in her ears. A scream was beginning to build in her throat until very slowly the person stepped into a hazy pool of light from the nearest lamppost.

Kyoko froze.

She watched the heavy rain fall upon his head, the drops of water drip from the ends of his silky hair, the way his soaked shirt clung to his body, how his chest slowly moved up and down with each breath, and how his eyes stared at nothing else but her.

Kyoko couldn't move.

He stood there for what seemed an eternity until he finally found the strength to pick up his feet and slowly walk towards her. He noticed how her expression didn't change. Her eyes didn't even have a flicker of recognition as he continued to walk closer and closer to her. But when they were finally face to face—he, standing in the rain and she, safe under the hangover—he saw silent tears streaming down her face.

He would have reached out a hand to caress her cheek. He would have wrapped his arms around her to prove to her that he was truly here, but he lost all the feeling in his body. He stood still, watching her body tremble and shake.

An ache rippled through her as Kyoko desperately tried to find her voice. She expected to wake up any minute now and find herself lying in her bed, seeing nothing but the empty wall and feeling more alone than ever. But she remained awake.

For the first time in what seemed years, Kyoko opened her mouth and said in a breaking voice,

"You can't be here."

He didn't reply.

A fear suddenly rose inside her as she suddenly thought that this was some new form of a nightmare. He was going to dissolve into nothing but mist as soon as she reached out to him. Deciding to get the horror over with, she took a small step forward and reached out a hand. Rain splattered her outstretched fingers, causing them to shake and tremble from the cold and even more so from fear.

But when she was close enough to touch him, he suddenly whipped out a hand, grasped her wrist, and pulled her body to his chest, forcing both of them to stand in the pouring rain.

No words were exchanged as Kyoko cried. She cried as if her life depended on it. Every time she opened her mouth to speak, a sob would rise up from her chest, rendering her speechless. She couldn't stop crying even when she felt his lips on her hair. She couldn't stop even when he whispered her name tenderly in her ear. She couldn't stop even when she felt his arms tighten around her slim body. The tears just wouldn't stop.

"I'm sorry," he whispered huskily as sobs continued to rise from her chest. "For not listening to you. For refusing to abide by what you want. For not leaving like you asked me to. I'm so sorry."

Kyoko couldn't respond. Her tears continued to fall as she raised her head from his chest and stared into his pained eyes. She shook her head and opened her mouth, but no sound escaped her lips.

Ren brought a gentle hand to her cheek, mixing the rain with her salty tears. He leaned forward and placed his forehead against hers. "Forgive me for being so selfish to come here."

She shook her head from side to side. "There's nothing to forgive," she managed to whisper breathlessly.

Ren felt his heart swell from her words, but he refused to take too much from them. He refused to allow himself to feel happy from her tender words when she didn't mean it as he wanted them to.

"Why aren't you on the plane?" Kyoko asked tearfully, feeling her body throb from his warm embrace. "Why aren't you leaving to America?"

Ren pressed a light kiss to her forehead that caused her body to freeze in surprise as he replied, "I can't leave you."

"Why not?"

He smiled painfully. "Haven't I made it clear, Mogami-san? I love you. I love you more than I ever thought I could. You're everything to me."

Kyoko let out another sob. She could feel her dead heart start to beat again as his words rang in her ears. He loved her.

"But your dream," she said in desperation, in fear of getting her hopes up and then falling back into reality once again. "You're giving it all up."

"No, I'm not," Ren said with a shake of his head. "I have my dream right here." He squeezed his arms tighter around her. "It's you."

"But America—"

Ren chuckled feebly. "America will always be there. But you, you come once in a lifetime and I'm not willing to give you up."

Kyoko allowed his words to sink in, right down into the depths of her heart. She couldn't find any other way out as a hope began to flood her senses. A happiness was slowly starting to glow deep inside her and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Kyoko was finally waking up.

But forcing herself to stay rational, she asked, "And Mya? Don't you love her?"

Ren pressed her soaked body to his as he laid his head on her shoulder. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around his torso. "I do care for her. I won't deny that. But if I have to choose between you and her, there isn't any competition."

He smiled. "I choose you."

Kyoko leaned back and stared into his dark eyes. Sincerity rang in every word. She couldn't force herself to turn away from him anymore. He loved her. He truly loved her.

But suddenly, his smile fell as he brushed her wet hair out of her face. He shook his head and said in a strained voice, "I do love you, Mogami-san. I have loved you for so long and I'm deeply sorry for not telling you sooner, for hiding it from you all this time. But please don't feel inclined to return these feelings."

Kyoko stood speechless.

"I couldn't choose America because I can't bear the thought of not seeing you, of not hearing your voice, of not feeling your gentle touch. It even scared me to know that one day I would find you happily in the arms of another man."

Ren smiled sadly and brushed his fingertips across her delicate cheek, watching the rain fall upon her face. "I have thought long and hard about how I feel about you and I know for a fact that I love you. But I'm not asking you to feel the same for me in return. I know you don't love me and that you can only see me as a mentor than anything else. But I am more than willing to somehow change your mind in order to earn your trust and—"

Kyoko placed a slender finger to his lips, silencing him in an instant. She smiled in what seemed like such a long time and stood on her tip toes as she replied in a gentle voice—

"For a mentor, you say the most ridiculous things."

–and tenderly pressed her lips against his. For a second, Ren didn't respond as he felt her mouth slowly brushing against his. He was too surprised to react. However, when he felt her hands tangle in his hair and how she pulled his face towards him, Ren couldn't fight it any longer and kissed her back with every bit of strength he had left. The way she tasted nearly made him collapse in pleasure since for so long he had wondered what it felt like to feel her warm lips.

When her mouth parted, Ren could feel his heart burst into a million pieces as he gave more of himself to her, knowing that he belonged to her forever. She continued to kiss him back until her body finally forced herself to lean away for air. As their lips parted, she stared into his eyes and could see a fire that burned within them that she knew mirrored her own.

He didn't say a word except gaze into her amber eyes with an expression that she was all too familiar with, but too ignorant to notice it before.

"I love you," Kyoko whispered as she pressed another kiss to his lips. Ren's eyes widened and she could feel his body tense up underneath her fingers.

"I have always loved you," she continued softly, "And nothing in the world will ever change that."

Kyoko smiled sheepishly as she realized he was still frozen from her actions. "I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner," she added.

Ren, who felt as if his entire world had just flipped upside down, held her to his body and shook his head. "There's nothing to forgive," he replied shakily. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He couldn't believe that he had kissed the love of his life and that she returned it. She really loved him.

Kyoko laughed gently and looked up at him from under her lashes. "I've been so blind."

Ren chuckled lightly at her words as he placed a tender kiss on her cheek. "To what?" he asked softly.

"My feelings…and what it is that I want."

"And what do you want?" Ren murmured against her lips.

"This," she replied with ease as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You…I want you."

Ren smiled. "You have me."

And as they held each other for an immeasurable amount of time, the rain slowly came to a stop. They both suddenly looked upward towards the night sky and spotted the red, twinkling object they have been looking for ever since they had said their painful good-byes to each other.

Kyoko smiled as she leaned her head against his broad chest, continuing to gaze upward. "Do you see it?" she asked softly.

Ren looked down at her face. "Yes, I do."

"I was talking about the star," Kyoko replied with a natural laugh in her voice as she realized he wasn't looking up anymore.

"I thought you figured it out by now, Kyoko."

Her heart faltered as he said her name.

Ren ran his fingers through her soft hair and gently pulled her to him. "You're my star."

A powerful emotion erupted inside of her as Kyoko allowed herself to drown in his embrace. Everything that she had hoped for had come true. She was living in her own fairy tale with a prince that she would have never thought in a million years she would find. She loved him and to her surprise, he loved her back. But for one fleeting moment, Kyoko felt a twinge of sadness for Mya who had to go through the trial of losing Ren all over again. She even hoped that one day Mya would find someone else out there who would love her back the way she deserved to be loved.

But suddenly, in one swift movement, Ren placed his finger under Kyoko's chin and pulled her lips back to his. Eventually, every thought escaped her mind except kissing the man she loved with everything she had to offer.

* * *

_**Six Months Later…**_

"Ren, want to hear something interesting?" Yashiro asked as he walked across the park, holding a tabloid in his hands.

Ren was standing under the shade of a large tree and facing the other direction, allowing a couple of people to put powder on his face and fix his hair. But at the sound of Yashiro's voice, he slightly twisted his head around and raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

Yashiro grinned. "Listen."

Flipping open the magazine to the eleventh page, Yashiro took in a deep breath and read out loud, _"This weekend Mya Beaumont's much awaited movie __Smoke and Mirrors__ was released worldwide in theaters for all her devoted fans to see. Many were anticipating her new role as a seductive detective and even more so for her leading man. However, to say that some were disappointed with the movie itself would be a huge understatement. If rated just for the movie, people said that it was acceptable, but when compared to her other movies, this one did not do Mya much justice. Even more so, the actor chosen to play the Mafia leader (Richard Ewal), who many people did not recognize, caused a ripple effect of disappointment among her fans since they had expected another actor to be playing the role._

At this point, Yashiro looked up to see what Ren thought of it. His expression was blank, but the make-up girls around him had stopped their movements and stared at Yashiro with a look of pure interest.

Ren raised his eyebrows. "Is that all?"

Yashiro shook his head and said, "No, here's the last part: _When asked about why Richard was chosen, the director replied that he found that Richard worked best with Mya, but much of the audience disagreed with his comment by saying "Mya looked stiff in every scene with him" and "that the connection between the two actors was nothing more than a dying flame." The romance in the movie was definitely not a highlight and much of her fans only approved of the fighting scenes between the drug fighters, which Mya was not a part of at all. Although __Smoke and Mirrors__ raked in quite a lot of money its opening weekend, many people believed this was not Mya's best. However, her fans are more than hopeful that she will make a quick comeback and surprise them like she always did before. _

Yashiro shut the magazine and glanced up. "What do you think?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I was planning on watching it this weekend," Ren said as he turned his attention back to the girls. "But according to this, maybe I shouldn't."

"You should go anyway. It might be a good experience, and bring Kyoko-chan with you."

Ren smirked out of the corner of his eye. "It sounds like you're trying to get rid of me so that you can have some alone time. Who are you meeting up with, Yashiro?"

Blushing profusely, he nervously pushed his spectacles further up his nose and replied, "No one that you should bother yourself with."

Ren chuckled. "Well, if you're going to insist, I guess I'll go."

Yashiro grinned widely.

"But I must tell you," Ren began in a sly voice. "Kotonami-san is going to be out of town this weekend for a commercial role."

In an instant, Yashiro's smile fell. "She is?"

Ren grinned as the other girls walked away, finished with their job and slightly irritated about Yashiro's advice of telling Ren to go on a date with another girl.

"So it is Kotonami-san?" he asked.

Jumping in surprise at what he had just done, Yashiro vigorously shook his head and stammered, "That's not what—!"

But Ren didn't allow him to finish his sentence as he walked over to his friend and clapped him on the shoulder. Amused, he said, "You should do better at covering that up."

"Covering what up?"

"This," Ren replied as he pointed at Yashiro's love-stricken face.

Yashiro smiled and shook his head. "That obvious, huh?"

Ren chuckled. "I guess you learned it from the best."

Suddenly, the two busted out laughing until a tall, slender figure caught Ren's attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned and smiled widely. "And speaking of love," he said slowly as he motioned his head into the other direction. "It turns out that it's your lucky day."

Kanae was walking onto the set with her hair draped over one shoulder as she approached the photo shoot. Yashiro froze up instantly and stared with a slightly gaping mouth. With one small push from Ren, he walked forward, but not before he turned around and gave him a small smile.

Chuckling to himself, Ren walked in the other direction, deciding to give those two some privacy. When he reached his silver trailer, he leaned against the door, looking at the crew prepare the set. He decided to close his eyes for just a few minutes, since he was slightly worn out from all the jobs he had been doing so far, until he heard footsteps walking towards him. He opened his eyes and smiled.

The photographer warmly waved in greeting and said, "Thanks for doing this again, Ren. I owe you one. Too bad all these magazines only want you as the groom."

"It's really not a problem, sir," he said with a shake of his head as he straightened up. "I'm honored to do it."

"But don't you get tired of doing the same old stuff?"

Ren chuckled. "Not really. Besides, I think things will be a little bit more interesting this time around."

"Why do you say—?"

But before he could finish his question, the sound of approaching heels silenced him as he turned around, feeling his jaw drop to the floor. Ren stood speechless, with a beaming smile upon his face, as he watched a young girl walk towards him with her face turned downwards. She seemed to be carefully measuring her every step as to not trample on the white gown that flowed all the way down to her feet. It was a strapless white, wedding dress that cinched at the waist and flared like a large umbrella as soon it hit her hips. Although the design was simple, the crystals and elaborate patterns on the bodice set the dress apart from any other.

Very slowly, she raised her head and when her eyes met Ren's, a beautiful smile crept along her face. Her hair was slightly longer than usual since it was now able to be tied up in curls, but everything else remained the same. She had the same amber eyes, pointed nose, and red, flushed cheeks.

Sensing that he was needed at the set—but also feeling like he was intruding—the photographer silently made his way back to the set as the two were left alone in their own little world. Ren extended a slender hand and gently felt her gloved hand place itself upon his. He didn't break eye contact as he brushed her hand against his lips. Smiling, he murmured, "You look lovely."

Kyoko blushed scarlet. "Thank you. So do you."

Of course, even though Kyoko had seen Ren in tuxedos before, it never ceased to make her heart beat in overtime as she stared into his attractive face. He was just too good to be true. And the fact that he was all hers was nothing short of a miracle.

Ren tenderly pulled her body to his and whispered in her ear, "The dress really suits you."

Kyoko's ears went red as she replied, "You don't think it's too much?"

He shook his head, unable to find his voice as he realized just how breathtaking she really looked. Unfortunately, their time together was cut short as the photographer beckoned them to walk over to the water fountain to begin the shoot. As the two situated themselves in front of the large sculpture, with Ren standing behind Kyoko, the director said, "Okay you two, I want these next few pictures to be natural. I won't be giving you specific instructions as to what I want. Have a little fun with it. I'll just be snapping away. Got it?"

Ren and Kyoko nodded as the photographer took a few steps back. "On the count of three, okay?"

Suddenly, Ren casually leaned low into her ear from behind and whispered in hushed tones, "What do you say we practice a little bit for next month?"

"ONE—!"

Kyoko smiled. "Right now?"

"TWO—!"

"Right now," he answered playfully as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"THREE—!"

"Fire away," she replied with a tiny giggle.

"SMILE!"

And Ren did just that as he whispered softly through unmoving lips, "Do you, Mogami Kyoko…"

SNAP!

"…take me, Hizuri Kuon…"

SNAP!

"…as your lawfully wedded husband…"

SNAP!

"…to have and to hold…"

SNAP!

"…for rich or for poor…"

SNAP!

"…in sickness and in health…"

SNAP!

"…til death do you part?"

"Alright, you two!" the photographer called from behind his camera. "Last shot!"

Kyoko smiled widely. And in one fluid turn, she spun herself around and wrapped her arms around his neck. Ren jumped in surprise as she leaned forward and murmured softly against his lips, "I do," as one last picture was taken that captured their love forever.

* * *

**I guess you guys can infer this is the very last chapter. I was planning on writing another chapter, but I thought it would be best to end it here. Haha, thanks so much for reading it this far and for favoriting it as well. I really enjoyed writing this story and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as well. I plan to write more fanfics in the future so keep a look out for them! Thanks so much for all the support and reviews! Once again, you guys are awesome! Ja-ne! **


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